


The Seventh Year

by siriuslynotfunny



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Battle of Hogwarts, Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Friendship, Gen, Hogwarts, Hogwarts Era, Hogwarts Seventh Year, Male-Female Friendship, No Smut, The Deathly Hallows, Wizarding World (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 02:00:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 47,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29056329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/siriuslynotfunny/pseuds/siriuslynotfunny
Summary: It's Neville's 7th year and Luna and Ginny's 6th. The remaining students at Hogwarts are terrified as Death Eaters roam the school grounds. How did the Silver Trio survive the year without Harry Potter to aid them?Here's the untold trauma of the 7th year at Hogwarts.
Relationships: Luna Lovegood/Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom & Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom & Luna Lovegood & Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom/Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom/Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom/Luna Lovegood/Ginny Weasley
Kudos: 6





	1. Lost But Not Found

**Author's Note:**

> This includes details from both the books and the movies. For example, Neville is blonde in the books and I kept it that way. In the movies, he tells Harry he likes Luna, so I added scenes when he could have started falling for her. 
> 
> Anyway, don't take it too seriously! I'm not the best writer, but this is just a fun way of passing time for me. :)
> 
> Enjoy <3

The Hogwarts Express screeched to a halt as two large men boarded the train. Both were dressed in black, and neither of them looked as though they wanted to be there. One of the men was larger than the other with a graying beard and had his hair pulled back into a slick ponytail. His cloak trailed behind him as he walked swiftly through the hall past the first-years. The second man appeared as stone-faced as his partner; only he was bald and slightly taller. His face was more elongated and clean-shaven. The bearded man had a colder gaze than that of the bald man, creating a more intimidating appearance.

A shriek rang through the hall, originating from the cabin behind the pair. Both men turned to find the source of the outcry. Examining the cabins, a petite girl with darker hair had her hand covering her mouth. She was squished between the window and her friend, who occupied much of her personal space. Opposite of them were two younger girls; both shook violently with fear. The older girl near the window held a newspaper called the _Daily Prophet_. She quickly turned to her friend and pointed to one of the pictures on the page. When the bearded man slammed the cabin door open, she jerked backward hard, hitting her head on the window's cold glass. The four girls jumped as he snatched the newspaper out of her hands. Flipping the paper over, both men curiously stared down at their moving mugshots with the title:

**WANTED: 2 DEATH EATERS ESCAPED FROM AZKABAN 10,000 GALLEON REWARD**

The Death Eaters smirked at each other and threw the paper to the ground as they neared the next carriage. Rather than cabins, there were aisles lined with booths on either side of the passenger car. Luggage hung on racks above the seats. The two men glanced around at the bewildered and startled students. He still was not on the train. The bald Death Eater's patience was growing thin. He forcefully nudged his companion to proceed. They walked on and ignored the questions a group of sixth-year Slytherin boys had asked. After a glare from the bald man, the boys fell silent. It was wise for them to keep silent while their car was searched. The Dark Lord was expecting them back soon, and Potter and his friends were still missing.

The Death Eaters didn't dare doubt their master, but it seemed more and more unlikely that the three friends had even boarded the train as the pair checked three more passenger cars. Finally, the men reached the last carriage. If they were here, they couldn't escape this time. The Dark Lord would be so pleased with them and forgive all wrongdoings! At this thought, the bearded man burst through the door.

Every student in the car turned towards the door to see what the disturbance was. A few students shrieked while others drew their wands. This was the Gryffindor carriage for seventh-years. Although more advanced at magic than younger years, the men were unthreatened by how unknowing the students were at defense against the dark arts. Without a consistent D.A.D.A. teacher, they were unknowledgeable and defenseless against the advanced magic of a Death Eater. Before anyone had time to say anything, a curly blonde boy stood next to the two men with an agitated look.

"My father will hear about this," he said haughtily. It was a foolish remark that the bald man tried hard not to snigger at. "McLaggen!" the boy across from him loudly whispered. "Sit down! Are you mental?" He glared at the blonde boy called McLaggen, who slowly took his seat but held his head high and kept his eyes up, staring down the Death Eaters.

Looking around for any other students willing to challenge them, the pair strode about three steps before a scrawny boy—also with blonde hair—stood up. He was pale and was very small compared to the bearded man. Next to him sat a red-headed girl that turned around to face the Death Eaters. She had a fiery look in her eyes, almost as blazing as her hair.

"Hey, losers," the scrawny blonde boy said assertively, "He isn't here."


	2. Reunited with Troubles

Neville sat back down and didn't break eye contact with the bearded Death Eater. Standing his ground, Neville remained silent with his jaw clenched. The bearded man's face flushed red with anger. After a few moments of silence, both men stormed out of the carriage. The door almost came off its hinges from how hard the door slammed shut.

"What do you reckon they expected?" asked Ginny as she slowly turned back to face Neville, who was pale with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Did they think Harry would be stupid enough to return?" Her expression changed at the mention of Harry's name. She had forgotten how much she missed him.

"I doubt it," Neville said in a low voice. "You-Know-Who probably wants to check just in case. Because he's already missed the chance to kill Harry—what is it now—three times?" Neville looked up to see Ginny fidgeting with her hands, staring down into her lap. Neither one of them spoke for the rest of the ride to Hogwarts.

\----

The scarlet train pulled into the lantern-lit station made of timber. A rather large man stood on the platform waiting at one end of the train. He held a small lantern as he patiently waited for the train to come to a full stop.

As all the students nervously stepped onto the platform, he called, "Firs' years o'er here wit' me! Firs' years come this way!" It was Hagrid. His voice boomed through the silence of the crowd of young witches and wizards. He had a less lively tone and looked as though he hadn't known sleep for weeks.

"Hagrid!" Ginny said, hurrying to catch up with him. He pretended not to hear her and continued to lead the first-years away from the wooden station. Ginny glanced towards Neville, who looked equally concerned. Unsure of what to do, they both headed for the carriages and caught up with Luna Lovegood.

Luna was a kind-hearted girl who was in Ginny's year. She was a bit different, but that's what Ginny had always admired about her. She was one of the few students who had journeyed to the Department of Mysteries and battled a group of Death Eaters with them.

Emerging from the trees, they found Luna stroking the muzzle of thestral. It was still a sight Ginny and Neville were unfamiliar with. Taken aback, they both stood still and watched as Luna continued to pet the dark horse-looking creature. Following the battle that resulted in Sirius' death, Ginny and Neville could also see death's winged creatures.

"Hey, Luna, how have you been holding up these past few days?" Ginny spoke softly.

Luna turned to face her friends. She looked exhausted and glumly said, "Oh, hi, Ginny and Neville." She didn't sound well, but that didn't stop her from trying to look the part. "It's been alright. Dad's been cautious since the wedding, but he's still writing for  _ The Quibbler _ . He also thought I shouldn't come this year, but I couldn't leave you here—not alone, at least."

Neville heard the anxiousness in her voice and realized how great a risk Luna took returning to Hogwarts. Impressed with her courage, he silently pulled her in for a hug. After a long moment, he felt Ginny press her hand into his back to let him know they had to leave.

They made the short walk to the carriages and began loading their trunks. Neville's toad, Trevor, sounded a loud croak. Neville was too wrapped up in his own thoughts and set Trevor down too hard. Out of the corner of his eye, he could have sworn he saw Luna shed a tear. Before he could be sure of it, Professor Flitwick called out their names for attendance, and all three heads turned. When Neville looked back, Luna was tear-free and quietly humming a sad-sounding tune to herself.

\----

It was a short ride up to the castle, but it felt like ages because nobody felt like talking. Keeping their thoughts to themselves, the air swirled with anxiety. Ginny worried more about the younger students' safety than her own. Ever since the news about Rufus Scrimgeour's death, she knew Voldemort had taken control of the Ministry.  _ The whole wizarding world knows but refuses to say anything! _ she thought to herself. With Death Eaters in power and Snape as headmaster, the year would be one unlike any other. How could she possibly protect every incoming Hogwarts student? There was only one of her and who knows how many Death Eaters wandering the grounds.

Ginny's thoughts were interrupted as Neville and Luna began to stand and gather their trunks. Ginny abruptly stood, grabbed her trunk, and stepped down from the carriage. It was strange to be on the grounds without any of her family. Fred, George, and Ron had all been there until last year. Now, there was an empty feeling walking into Hogwarts without a brother to tease her. She was on her own...but she wasn't alone. Neville and Luna would be with her; this ignited a flicker of hope as she stepped onto the stone steps leading up the castle.


	3. Vigilance

The Hogwarts grounds had always had a certain comfort to Neville. It was more of a home than his Gran's had felt like. Although it was difficult to become more open with his housemates in Gryffindor, he began to realize they would be there for him. However, there was an indescribable darkness that haunted the grounds of the school. A chill filled the air as the trio made their way up the steps.

Lanterns and candles were lighting the school as usual. It looked as though nothing had changed. But then a lumpy man stepped out of the corridor to block the walkway towards the Great Hall. He had a pallid skin tone with tiny eyes that were lopsided on his face. As Ginny observed him, she thought he looked more like a pig than a human.

"Excuse me, sir," Luna said, her voice wavered a little. "We must be getting to dinner. It would be a shame if we missed the Welcoming Feast." The man just looked down at her and snarled. He looked up to see Neville glaring at him. This made him smile and laugh a wheezy giggle. He saw a small but bold boy in front of him; he would have to keep an eye on him during the term.

After observing the three students, he said in a low snarl, "State your names and what year you are in." All three looked puzzled and turned to face one another. Flitwick had already taken attendance before they got into the carriage, so why did this man need their information?

"Don't just stand there like a bunch of blithering idiots. What are your names, and what year are you in?" The trinity stood stunned, waiting to see what would happen if they did not answer.

After staring and glancing back-and-forth to one another, the man finally gave in and introduced himself. "My name is Amycus Carrow, and I'm the new professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts." He had a grimace that gave Neville a bad feeling, and he made a face of uncertainty. Noticing his expression, Amycus looked towards Luna to make Neville speak, but she did not pick up on the hint. Losing patience, he pulled out a paper and quill and recited his previous statement. "What are your names, and what is your grade?"

Neville's stomach dropped because he remembered reading a snippet of the  _ Daily Prophet _ announcing the new Muggle Studies and D.A.D.A. professors. He was a Death Eater; Neville was sure of it. Raising suspicions on the first day would not look good, so he decided to do as Carrow asked. "Er," he faltered, "Neville Longbottom, year seven, sir."

"Very well. And what about you?" He turned to Ginny, who was looking down at her feet. She, too, felt a surge of uneasiness around this new professor. Neville lightly kicked her ankle, and she took it as a sign to answer Professor Carrow.

"I'm Ginny Weasley, a sixth year." Staring at each other for a long moment, the professor scratched out what was likely her name. The list he held appeared to be short, and Neville was sure that they would be keeping a closer eye on them as the year progressed.

"And, finally, you Blondie?" he said to Luna, who was turned towards the steps they had just ascended. She looked out at the water with a sorrowful look. Neville tapped Luna on the shoulder, and she jumped slightly. Neville didn't realize she was so out of it, or he would've given her name to Amycus himself.

Neville nodded his head toward Carrow, but she still looked dazed and disoriented. "Her name is Luna Lovegood, and she's in her sixth year," Neville said sharply. Luna continued to stare out into the dark hills below them.

"Very well, head off to the Feast." Professor Carrow stepped out of the way, permitting them to pass with their now heavy trunks. The three continued to walk along the corridor to their dormitories.

Ginny was about to turn towards the stairs to go up to the Fat Lady, but Neville stopped her and said, "I think I'm going to walk Luna to her room and meet you at the Feast if that's alright. She seems like she needs the company, so I'll meet you down there."

"Good idea, Neville. I'm not sure what's going on with her," Ginny whispered to him. "I think it would do some good just sitting with her. It might help her relax a bit. Just remember to be vigilant."

Ginny and Neville parted ways. Luna stood a few feet away from them, humming the same melancholic tune on the carriage. It was one Neville had never heard, but he didn't want to ask, fearful she may become upset with him.


	4. The Ravenclaw Common Room

The pair silently walked through the halls towards the Ravenclaw dormitories. It wasn't an awkward muteness but a comforting one. Luna did not wish to speak to Neville, but she didn't mind him walking with her. As they approached the door, the hairs on the back of Neville's neck stood up. Someone was watching them; he was sure of it. Luna felt it too, and she whipped around quickly.

Peeves floated above them, chanting "Loony Lovegood" repeatedly until Neville yelled at him to shove off. As Peeves floated away laughing malevolently, Luna tapped the eagle knocker once. The knocker came to life and recited:

**Sailing CCCCCCC. What does this mean?**

"That's easy," Luna said, her mood lifting slightly. "It means sailing the seven seas!" The door creaked open, and Luna stepped inside, dragging her trunk with her. Realizing Neville hadn't entered, she invited him inside. Reluctantly, he stepped forward. He had never been inside another house's common room before.

The first thing that stood out to Neville was the white marble statue of Rowena Ravenclaw. It was like nothing he had ever seen. He had a long look around, taking everything in. The room was circular and spacious, despite several pieces of chairs, tables, and bookcases scattering the room. A magnificent view of the mountains surrounding Hogwarts could be seen through a large window to the right of the room. A comfortable-looking white couch sat in front of the grand view. A midnight blue carpet sat below the furniture, bringing a mysterious but sophisticated aesthetic to the common room. Looking left, he saw beautiful blue-and-bronze silks radiating in the moonlight, lining the elegant arched windows. Just then, Neville noticed something above him shimmer. He gazed upwards and saw the night sky; the ceiling was a dome painted with twinkling stars. Luna followed Neville's gaze towards the stars but remained silent.

"Wow!" Neville whispered to himself, breaking the silence. "I've never seen anything quite like this. I never knew your common room was so fascinating."

"It is, isn't it?" Luna smiled at him. "I personally think the best view is from over there." She pointed to the window farthest from them. "Looking at the stars in silence is quite peaceful. You should come back another time, and we could stargaze together."

Neville blushed as she said this. Luna had just invited him back to Ravenclaw Tower. Without knowing how to react, he changed the subject.

"Are you alright? You don't have to talk about it. Can I help in any way?" Luna turned away from him. She stepped over to the largest window and sat on the couch. Neville took a seat beside her, and she rested her head on his chest.

His heart skipped a beat. A girl had never laid her head on his chest. He tried to remain calm and not alarm Luna in her time of need. Consoling her was more important than his distress.

Luna let out a big sigh but kept her head on Neville's chest. "I'm worried about my father," she said in a small voice. When Neville didn't respond, she went on. "Writing and editing for  _ The Quibbler _ means he could be in danger. If You-Know-Who has control over the Ministry, what will happen to him?"

Neville did not know how to respond, so he put his arm around her instead. It comforted Luna enough to continue confiding in him.

"They could torture him with the Cruciatus Curse, maybe even kill him if they don't like what he's writing. They control the  _ Daily Prophet _ and will likely take over any other news source to keep everything hushed. I wish he would stop writing, just for a bit." Luna had a few tears trickle down her face. She sniffled and sat up to wipe her eyes.

Neville was unsure what to say. He wasn't sure if he should say anything, but then the words slipped out of his mouth. "It'll be alright, Luna. He'll be alright." This made Luna smile and hug him hard.

After about five minutes of more comfortable silence, Luna turned to Neville and said, "You better get going to the Feast. You might still make it in time for dessert." Neville didn't want to leave but thought that staying would be weird.

"Al— alright. I'll see you tomorrow?" he asked as he headed towards the door.

"See you tomorrow," she assured him and began climbing the tower steps to the dorms.


	5. Introductions

When Neville reached the entrance to the Great Hall, he noticed dessert had already been served. That meant he had also missed the hat's new song and the sorting ceremony. He was slightly disappointed that he didn't greet the first-year Gryffindors as he had in past years, but he looked up to find Snape in the headmaster's seat at the front of the room; missing the ceremony was now the least of his concerns. Next to Snape sat the head of Gryffindor house, Professor McGonagall. Beside her was the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who had introduced himself before the feast. A woman sat next to Professor Carrow, who appeared just as lopsided as he was. Her shoulders sloped unevenly, and Neville noticed she had stubby fingers as she drank something from a flask.

He scanned the room, searching for Ginny, and found her sitting next to the Creevy brothers. Neville took the vacant seat beside her and reached for a cauldron cake. He hadn't realized how hungry he was until then.

"Is everything with Luna sorted out? Is she doing fine now?" Ginny asked. She looked pale and exhausted. Her plate had few crumbs and was not nearly as greasy as any of the other students. Neville grabbed another cauldron cake and set it on her plate.

"Eat. It'll help," he said soothingly but evading her questions. Luna had revealed a lot of personal information. He didn't want to betray her trust, so he decided it would be best to drop the conversation about her.

Ginny understood this as both of them remained silent, so she steered the conversation away from Luna. "Snape will be giving a start-of-term speech, I reckon." Neville stared at her blankly. "I can't imagine he'll have much to say. He never does." When Neville still did not respond, she dropped the conversation and took a small bite from her cauldron cake to fill the awkward silence.

As she finished the cake, the desserts disappeared from every table. Everyone in the room quieted their conversations as they watched Snape walk up to the podium where Dumbledore once stood. His greasy black hair was knotted and looked as though it needed to be brushed. The professor himself looked like he had been up for days on end.

"Good evening. As you all know, Professor Albus Dumbledore is no longer headmaster after his tragic demise at the end of the past year," he said, sounding free of guilt in a tame tone. "Now that we've addressed that, I'd like to welcome the new and returning students to Hogwarts. This year will be... unique." The corners of his lips turned upwards slightly as he said this. "I would like to introduce you to our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Amycus Carrow. His sister, Professor Alecto Carrow, will be your new Muggle Studies teacher.

"Now, then. Professors," he said and turned to the staff table, "you are to report any students who break any rules or act out in any way. I am appointing the Carrows Professors to be in charge of punishment. You do not want to be caught breaking school rules. I wish you all the best this year. Now get to bed, or detentions will be handed out. It would be a shame if that were the case." Snape slowly turned towards the door near the staff table. The students rose and quietly talked among themselves. Neville looked to find Ginny, but she was gone.

All the Gryffindors headed up to Gryffindor Tower, where the portrait of the Fat Lady resided. Ginny was one of the first to make it up the steps. One of the new prefects for Gryffindor was a fifth-year boy called Ingenio Seminiverbius. He made his way to the front near the portrait entrance, followed by the first-years. "In ignotis," he said. The portrait swung open, and everyone filed inside.

Ginny went to sit on the common room sofa. She hoped Neville would find her so they could discuss Snape's brief speech. It took several minutes of waiting, but Neville did join her in front of the fireplace.

"Neville, do you want to try to start up the D.A. again? I doubt a Death Eater will actually teach us defenses for dark magic." She kept her voice hushed in fear of attracting too much attention from non-members who were unaware of the D.A.

Neville did not look up at her. Instead, he looked lost in thought. Ginny remained patient and waited for him to respond. "Yeah, that's probably our best bet for now," he replied, his body stiff as a wood board. "But I doubt many people still check their coins. How will everyone know to meet us?"

"I'll need a few days to come up with something," Ginny said. "My mind isn't as brilliant as Hermione's, but I'll find a way to get it done. I promise." At that, she bid Neville goodnight and climbed the spiraling steps to the Gryffindor dormitories.


	6. The Carrows' Lessons

A week had passed since the term started, and Ginny showed no signs of having found an ingenious way to notify the D.A. members that they would begin meetings again. 

Classes with the Carrow Professors were terrible, as expected. Defense Against the Dark Arts was slowly transforming into dark arts lesson. Professor "Pig" Carrow (the new nickname for their D.A.D.A. professor) gave no interest in teaching defensive spells. Contrasting what he was hired to teach, he preferred lecture about using dark spells when on offense. 

One week after the students arrived, he began to teach what he considered simple jinxes. The first lesson was about trying the Oppugno Jinx. In Carrow's classroom, Lavender Brown was seated next to Neville. The jinx was not hard, as Lavender had learned her previous year when Hermione sent birds after Ron; however, several students had never tried to use it before, making it all the more difficult. 

Professor Carrow was most displeased with what little experience they had in casting jinxes. What angered him most was that several of the seventh-years were powerful; he was sure of this. Severus Snape created a list of students to keep a closer eye on because they organized secret gatherings to practice defensive spells during their fifth year. 

"No, no, no," he said impatiently. "I expected better from every one of you. You're seventh-years and can't do this simple bloody jinx, eh? Detentions for all of you!" Angry whispers echoed around the room as he said this.

"Professor Carrow," Neville spoke loudly. "We're just learning it! Detentions are given when someone's broken a rule or done something wrong, not when we don't get a spell right on the first try!" Heads nodded in agreement. Few murmurs were audible among the students, but the room fell motionless as Professor Carrow marched up to Neville with a wild glint in his eye. 

"That will be detention for the rest of the week, Mr Longbottom," Carrow growled. "As for the rest of you, if you agree, then feel free to join him! Be here in my room, at eight o'clock on the dot. Don't. Be. Late."

Just then, the bell rang, and both the Gryffindors and Slytherins hurried from their seats and left the classroom. Lavender quickly rose from her seat, hastily grabbing her books. Neville, though, was in no rush to leave. Professor Carrow was using fear as a tactic to discipline the students. He did not want to give in to Carrow's attempts. Being fearful makes you feel alone; it hinders everyone from getting hopeful impulses to take a stand. Neville began to leave his seat when Professor Carrow walked up to him. 

"If you try anything, I will know, boy. Don't be as stupid as your parents." His tone was full of warning. Neville just glared and clenched his jaw, stopping himself from reaching for his wand. "Don't play the hero, because I assure you, you'll lose. I know spells far more powerful than you could imagine."

"Are you threatening a student?" Neville shot back, carefully deciding his next move. 

Before Professor Carrow had a chance to reply, his eyes wandered to the back of the room to find Snape standing in the doorway. "Longbottom, leave us." Neville, who still feared Snape (but not as much as he had in earlier years), gathered his things and quickly retreated to the door. 

\----

As Neville had his D.A.D.A. lesson, Ginny was in Muggle Studies with the Ravenclaws. Professor Alecto Carrow's beliefs were explicit: Muggles were filthy and should be subservient to magic folk. Carrow also thought anyone who wasn't a pure-blood was foul and didn't belong in the wizarding world. However, she had to make an exception for half-blood students because Snape allowed them to continue attending the school (although she was not pleased with his decision).

Professor Carrow conveniently sat Luna and Ginny next to each other. Luna could make the process of brainstorming a way to get several secret messages slightly easier. Racking her brain and spending an undesirable amount of hours at the library, Ginny had come up with nothing. Not one idea had popped into her mind. Turning to ask Luna, Professor Carrow began her lesson.

"We learned last week about the qualities of a pure-blood. Can anyone tell me what a few of those qualities happen to be?" Her eyes darted across the room, waiting for a volunteer. "If no one prefers to answer, how about..." she looked down at a piece of parchment in her hands, "Ms Weasley."

"I—" Ginny stammered. She had not paid attention to her lessons that first week; all her focus was on starting up the D.A. "Well, er, pure-bloods just happen to descend original wizarding families. There are no qualities that make them great, though." 

" _ DETENTION! _ " screeched the stout woman. "As a pure-blood yourself, Ms Wealey, you of all witches should see and understand these qualities!" Professor Carrow's face had become flushed with anger. Composing herself, she proceeded with her lesson. "Take out your quills and parchment. You'll want notes, I'm sure," she said impatiently. 

Without waiting for the class to catch up, she began the lesson. "Pure-bloods," she croaked, "are the only true wizards and witches. Retaining blood status was crucial. Mudbloods are either related to traitors, or they are the traitors themselves. Either way, blood purity is what today's lesson is all about. 

"But first, let's discuss why the new Ministry should condemn Mudbloods. I know several of you wanted to discuss muggles. After all, this is Muggle Studies lessons, but you shall learn blood purity before you study rubbish." Ginny turned to Luna as she spoke, looking as though a jinx would fly at Carrow any second. But as she reached for her wand, Luna widened her eyes and reached over to stop her. 

"Detention, Ms Lovegood!" yelled the professor. 

"WHAT?" Ginny yelled at her. 

"You heard me, detention! As for you, Ms Weasley, that'll add a week for speaking to me in that manner." Luna looked stunned, and she was unsure of what to say next. Ginny's face was red with fury; a fist clenched under her desk. The class broke out with whispers from their classmates, sharing Ginny's anger. 

"Back to blood purity," said Professor Carrow. She raised her left arm to point to the chalkboard, and Luna thought she saw the Death Eater mark; was positive it was there. Turning to an upset Ginny, she nudged and discreetly pointed to Carrow's left arm. Ginny sat upright immediately and almost fell out of her seat.

"Is there an issue, Ms Weasley?" Carrow asked without turning around. "Because I certainly hope not. You've gotten yourself into enough trouble as it is." Ginny did not reply but continued to scribble on her parchment as the lesson progressed.

The class took notes for the full block—an hour and a half—having nearly two parchment rolls scribbled with words by the end of the lesson. 

As the bell rang, Carrow announced, "I expect a five thousand word essay containing what is wrong with pure-bloods mating with Muggles by next week. Make sure you measure your parchment so it is twelve inches per roll. You will serve detention with the Amycus if it is not completed."


	7. Memorandum Rodentium

Ginny practically ran from the room to her dormitory. Not hearing Luna shouting after her, she sprinted up the stairs and said, " _ In ignotis _ ," while panting. A few housemates were sitting in the common room, staring at a breathless Ginny who looked fatigued. Ignoring their stares, she began her way up towards her room.

A large pile of books waited to greet her. She had been flipping through every last one of them, searching for a way to keep secretly message all the D.A. members. But the Dark Mark was the more concerning issue. She had to get word to the Order. What if they look through letters, though? It didn't matter. She had to let him know their suspicions were correct.

She searched through her trunk and finally found a quill and some ink after throwing several clothing items on the floor. Swiftly, she wrote:

**Dad,**

**You were right; they've overrun the school. Nasty and dangerous they are, trying to get into your head, threatening to hurt you. The nargles won't be gone anytime soon, though. It'll only get worse as the year continues. We'll all be alright, but it won't be easy getting rid of them.**

**Love, Ginny**

As she folded the letter, she hoped her father would understand the message. Before the start of the year, he expressed his concerns about Snape as headmaster. That's when Ginny agreed to write hidden messages in code, but only if it was necessary. 

Ginny walked down to the West Tower, where the owlery was. Her pace quickened with each step, fearful of any Death Eater's watchful eyes. Climbing the steps took little time, and she quickly tied her letter to Pigwidgeon and sent him off. She did not leave the tower until the owl became merely a speck of black in the sky. 

After returning to her dorm, Ginny grabbed the top book in the stack and began scanning through it. She was losing hope of finding secret means of communication, but then she saw it. It was in a magical history book written very recently.

> _ Beginning in 1926, Memorandum Rodentium was created to send memos from employees in the Magical Congress of the United States. The paper notes would fold themselves into rats and scamper through tubes connecting each office. Although most arrived in the correct room, few memos fought with one another. These brawls almost always ended in both messages being torn to shreds. (A History of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the United States) _

It was perfect! Ginny had found a way to alert the members of the D.A. without raising suspicions! It wasn't foolproof by any means, but if she planned it right, the group would be together practicing spells by the following Wednesday!

Excited, Ginny began preparations, starting with learning and perfecting the spell. It took several tries before the paper finally folded itself into a mobile rat. Scattered beside the bed were dozens of failed, half-folded rats twitching slightly. She used the vanishing spell taught to her the previous year by Professor McGonagall. 

To ensure she had perfected the spell, she cast it three more times. Sure enough, three more paper rats folded themselves. Ginny smiled to herself and took a moment to admire her handiwork. Four rats ran around the bed, fighting one another. Leaving them to tear each other to pieces, Ginny ran to tell Neville. 

To her surprise, he wasn't in the common room. She ran to the boys' dormitories on the other side of the tower and found that he wasn't in his room either. Lessons were done for the day, so he should be in the Gryffindor Tower waiting for dinner. 

Heading back to her room, she found shreds of paper with no rodents in view. Hastily cleaning up the ripped pieces, she grabbed a stack of parchment and began scribbling twenty-three vague messages to the D.A. members.

Dinner was ready as she finished writing the eleventh memo. She finally found Neville next to a first-year, Elias Michaels. She had seen him a few times in the common room. Taking the seat in front of the pair, she waited for Neville to finish his conversation with Michaels. 

"It's too dangerous for you to try anything with them," Neville said with urgency in his voice. "Leave it to the older years to defy the Carrows, alright? I don't want any first-years to go around getting into trouble. You're too young for this fight. I can try and teach you some defensive spells later on if you'd like." He paused to see if Michaels would nod in agreement, and he did. "Great. I promise I will teach you, but you can't get into any trouble with the Carrows or Snape. Is that clear? Do we have a deal?" The boy nodded his head once more and stood to sit with the other first-years. 

Neville looked up and saw Ginny sitting in front of him drinking pumpkin juice. He opened his mouth to say something, but Ginny cut him off. 

"I've found a way to alert everyone. You know, to check the coins." She smiled and cheerfully continued, "I think you should be the main leader of the group, now that Harry's not here." Neville looked down at his empty plate; he was at a loss for words. "Neville, I know you can be a leader, I know it!" Neville nodded unconfidently and looked back up, meeting Ginny's eyes. "You can lead us to rebel against Snape and the Carrows! Please, consider it at least?" she pleaded. 

There were a few long moments of silence. Neville's lips curved into a smile, and reluctantly he responded, "Okay, let's do it."


	8. Cruciatus in Detention

Luna was in her dormitory, finishing her Muggle Studies essay, when a small paper rat appeared at the foot of her bed. Curiosity swept over her as it scurried about the sheets and lay still on her pillow. Her pale, cold hand wrapped around its body, and she gently unfolded the paper. 

Ginny's message was scrawled on the paper:  _ Check your coin's date. It should be recent. Don't reply. _

A jolt of excitement shot through her, and she began to hum a song she had heard on the wizarding radio the day before; it was called O Children. Collecting herself, she set off for her classes that day. 

Her first class was herbology with the Slytherins. They learned about a plant used for potions: Fluxweed. Professor Sprout continued her lesson for about an hour, and the students were given the remaining time to observe its properties and decide the best way to pick the plant from the pot. 

The bell rang, and the students rushed off to the Great Hall for lunch. Hungry herself, Luna walked in to find Neville and Ginny sitting together eating french onion soup with slices of bread. She began heading in their direction when Colin Creevey walked up to her.

"Did you get it, too?" he asked non-specifically.

"Yes, I did!" Luna answered cheerfully. "But be careful where you talk." She nodded her head toward Alecto Carrow, who was sitting in her seat at the staff table. Colin did not look over, but he nodded to Luna and walked out of the Hall. 

"—what do you mean you want to back out? Come on. I'll help you if you can't do it yourself!" Ginny whisper-yelled at Neville. "And Luna can help, too. Wouldn't you, Luna?"

"Wouldn't I what?" she whispered back, perplexed. 

"Neville, here, doesn't want to run the D.A. by himself. I think he would make an excellent leader, but he's decided," she said, annoyed, "that he won't do it unless one of us helps him." She shot him a look as the last words left her mouth. 

"Oh, of course! I'd love to help if it'll encourage Neville." She grinned at Neville; he gave an awkward smile in return. "Neville, remember the hat sorted you into Gryffindor. What if he foretold this moment and knew you would find the courage to do this. Maybe, you were meant to be brave this year, with Snape and the Carrows, too."

Neville took these words to heart and blushed because Luna had never said anything so wise before. Ginny saw this but didn't mention it. 

To steer the conversation back to Dumbledore's Army, she said, "So when should the first meeting be? We should make it soon. People are already losing hope, and we'll need more optimism to get through the year."

"I think we should do it tomorrow. The sooner, the better, right?" Neville said confidently. Both Luna’s and Ginny’s heads bobbed in agreement. 

"So it's settled, then. Tomorrow at..." Ginny checked her watch, "eight o'clock."

"Wait, I've got my last detention with Carrow tomorrow. The day after, alright? Don't get into trouble, please!" Neville pleaded with them. The girls agreed and began devouring dinner.

Neville reached for his galleon as dessert appeared and changed the date and time:  _ 09.25.97 / 8:00.  _ Writing this gave him something to look forward to. Maybe he would get through Carrow's detentions after all. 

\----

Neville walked into Professor Amycus Carrow's room with his head held high. Whatever today's torture was, he could handle it. What were two more detentions to him? He'd already survived a week of them! The previous night he watched a Slytherin boy take a horrendous beating for talking out of line. Having been there from the last Wednesday, Neville was already beaten twice and used as jinx practice the other four times. 

Ginny had joined him in Carrow's room for half the nights. For the other half, Neville had no idea. Because Ginny had not mentioned it to either him or Luna, he assumed it was terrible. 

Walking into the room, he saw Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle standing next to Professor Carrow. Ginny was seated furthest from them. Students from varying houses and years were scattered across the room, as well. Neville chose to sit behind Ginny. He hoped the Carrows did not notice them sitting at lunch for the past week. Their friendship could be a factor in the kind of torture they would endure. 

The clock had struck eight sharp, and the detention began with a long lecture—the same Neville listened to the last five days—from Carrow. He explained, even yelled, at the whole classroom about how Hogwarts needs order; he said a punishment system had to be put in place because of how disorderly the kids were, and Dumbledore should have set more punishments in place. 

"Today is Cruciatus Curse day!" He paused to see the students' reactions and gave them a nasty smile that showed his decaying yellow teeth. Neville had a terrible feeling about this detention, and he could tell Ginny did too. She fidgeted in her seat more than the previous nights. "Mr Crabbe, Mr Goyle, please explain to them why you're here with me tonight."

"Gladly," Goyle said, smirking. "We get to practice the Cruciatus Curse on you!" The room roared with students yelling in protest and expressing their disapproval. Professor Carrow silenced the room with a single flick of his wand. 

"Let's start with... aha! Mr Longbottom. You've been here a while. You'll be the first they practice on." He motioned for Neville to join him at the front of the room. Reluctantly, Neville rose from his seat. He didn't dare look at Ginny, fearing they would hurt her for being his friend. 

"When can I do it, Professor?" Crabbe asked eagerly. 

"Whenever you're ready, boy," was Carrow's reply.

Crabbe looked in Goyle's direction and shared a laugh with him before drawing his wand from his robes. " _ Crucio _ !" he shouted. Neville felt as though every part of his body had been set ablaze. His legs gave out from under him, as the pain was almost unbearable; he could barely move his fingers to make a fist. Crabbe laughed triumphantly as Neville screamed in agony. The torture lasted for less than ten seconds, but it felt like an eternity to him. As the pain subsided, Neville could not move a muscle. 

"Now what?" Crabbe asked dumbly.

"Now, you check if the boy's dead yet. I doubt he's dead. Although he might be mad like his parents are." Carrow hobbled over to where Neville lay, and he felt a cold hand over his sweater. "Alive. It wouldn't have been too much of a shame if you killed him, though."

"I want a go!" shouted Goyle 

"Alright then, let's have you try on..." his eyes met Ginny's, "Ms Weasley." He scoffed as she slowly got up to leave her seat. "Blood traitors deserve to be tortured anyway, wouldn't you say, Goyle?" 

"Absolutely, sir." Goyle waited for her to stand where Neville stood seconds earlier before collapsing. 

Ginny's heart pounded so loud she thought the whole classroom could hear it. She was afraid because no one had ever Crucio-ed her before, and from the way Neville had cried out, she could only assume how unpleasant it was. Waiting for Goyle's word, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

" _ Crucio _ ," she heard him say. Ginny was undergoing the same firey feeling Neville had. She screeched as the sensation spread to her ears. After a split second, the torture was done. "Damnit!" he yelled. Ginny heard something crash against the wall to her left. 

"Relax. You haven't done it before. Even getting your victim to feel it is an accomplishment for your first try. Being so young, too! You'll certainly be a powerful wizard. The Dark Lord would consider you valuable if you were of age."

Ginny, like Neville, was paralyzed and felt the cold floor press against her skin. She could only stare into Neville's eyes as a tear fell from her left eye. He stared back at her and felt awful for not being able to do anything to help. She could not remember what had happened throughout the rest of the detention, but she was sure that the other students did not have to undergo the curse.

No one helped them up, not even as the detention ended. All Professor Carrow did was step over the pair, blow out the lanterns, and leave them to lay in darkness. Beginning to feel strength return, Neville crawled over to where Ginny was. She had fallen asleep on the dirty ground. As gentle as possible, he shook her awake.

"Ginny, it's over. It's okay. We're okay, but we need to get back to Gryffindor Tower." Slowly she stumbled to her feet and wrapped an arm around Neville's shoulders. Neville supported her and began the long walk across the castle. Neither of them spoke. What happened, happened. It didn't need to be said aloud. 

Passing through the courtyard, Neville saw the moon glimmering brilliantly over the lake. It was a sight he never thought to appreciate. He felt his legs growing limp, so he asked Ginny if they could take a break and sit for a moment.

"It's beautiful, the moon and stars surrounding it," he said weakly. Ginny looked up and agreed. "We'll get through this, you know? I know we will. After all these years, what's one more? Harry will be back, I know it, and it all will have been worth it. Think about the end goal."

"It's just—" Ginny started. "It's just going to take more strength. But that'll come over time, I suppose. You're right; it'll just take some getting used to." 

They sat in silence for another ten minutes or so before trying to stand again. They noiselessly made it up the stairs to the Fat Lady. Complaining that they had woken her so late, she scolded them for being out of their beds. 

They had the most trouble climbing the stairs up to their dormitories. Both Ginny and Neville helplessly dragged themselves upward. Their legs could no longer carry them. Making it to the sixth year's level, Ginny thanked Neville, and they parted ways. Neville barely made it to his bed without passing out from exhaustion. As his head hit the pillow, he dreamt about the upcoming D.A. meeting.


	9. Healing Wounds and Rotten Food

The sun blinded Ginny as she awoke in her bed. She felt groggy and exhausted from how late she was up the night before. Her body ached as she sat upright to head to the bathroom. It was Wednesday. There were no detentions left for her to serve. She was Carrow-free for the time being. But it was only a matter of time before she got herself into trouble again. 

Ginny grabbed her robes and headed for the bathroom to bathe. She felt disgusting and in need of cleansing. Submerging herself in the warm water allowed her sore body to feel much better. Ginny needed to wash away all the fear and pain the Cruciatus Curse had caused her. She needed to cleanse away all the suffering she had endured that past week, including multiple beatings from Alecto Carrow. As she continued scrubbing at herself, the bruises and cuts became more apparent. Alecto had punched her in the face several times to "get it into her head" that mouthing off was no use. As the soap glided over her neck, an olive-toned concealer loosened and washed away, revealing the large hand mark imprinted on her skin. 

And then she cried. She wept a long while before Moaning Myrtle sat beside her. The ghost did not speak but merely placed her ghostly arm around Ginny's shoulders. This brought great comfort to Ginny; relief flowed through her as the last tear fell, mixing with the water from the bath. She collected herself and stepped out to dry her hair and change into her robes. From then on, she promised herself she wouldn't be afraid of the Carrows. It wasn't worth her time to sob and be fearful of two Death Eaters.

It was half-past eight as she headed down for breakfast. She did not bother to cover her wounds. In fact, she wanted to display for the whole student body what the Carrows actually did. She wanted to show everyone who they actually were. 

She walked past Elias Michaels and a few other first-years who stopped to ask if she was alright. She nodded and smiled at them, continuing to walk toward the Great Hall. Ginny wrinkled her nose at the pungent smell of rotting food. Turning into the Hall, the students barely had anything on their platters. Everyone had confused looks and looked upset. Some rubbed their stomachs, expressing their hunger, while others loudly complained and threatened to write to their parents about it. 

Ginny saw Neville sitting with Luna at the Gryffindor table, and she quickly strode over to them. 

"Why's the food rotten? What's going on?" Ginny asked curiously.

"Nevermind why the food's rotting. What happened to you?" Neville asked sincerely. "You didn't have those yesterday, and there's no way you could've gotten into trouble after the hour we got back into the tower."

"It's nothing," she replied swiftly and squirmed in her seat. "Now, please, what's happened?"

Taking the hint that she didn't want to talk about it, Neville answered, "Snape's just announced that there's a food shortage. Personally, I think he's lying. I think they just don't want to feed us. Gin, they're planning something; I know it. By starving us, we're weaker, and our spells won't be as powerful."

It sounded like Neville thought their whole plan through. "You could be an Auror, you know?" She spoke kindly and gave a small smile. He beamed back at her. 

Luna broke the moment when she said, "Guys, I know yesterday's detention was awful, but aren't you scared of going back tonight. What if it's the same thing? What if they  _ Crucio _ you until you do things for yourself?" Instantly, Neville knew she was talking about his parents. 

"Well, being afraid can't stop us from doing what's right," Neville said firmly. Taking this a sign to drop the conversation, they began to sort through the rotten food. If they got lucky, a scrap or two wasn't moldy. Sharing their findings, they left the Hall more full than they thought they would be. 

\----

The day went on fast, and Neville dreaded his detention that evening. The only thing that kept him from causing more trouble in Muggle Studies was the D.A. It was painful to keep quiet during Alecto Carrow's lectures, where she tried to brainwash everyone into believing muggle-born witches and wizards did not deserve their magical powers and should be locked up in Azkaban for it.  _ One more day _ , he told himself.

Lunch passed quickly, along with herbology class. As dinnertime neared, Neville became tenser and tenser, awaiting his detention. Ginny tried to tell him it was alright in the common room earlier that day, but he believed it would be similar to the day before. 

The clock struck five.  _ Dinner, common room, detention, sleep. Dinner, common room, detention sleep.  _ Neville repeated this in his head until he was interrupted by none other than Amycus Carrow on his way down to the Great Hall. The professor yanked on Neville's sweater, pulling him into an empty classroom at the end of the corridor. 

"I have some... business to attend to, so you're excused from your last detention, Mr Longbottom. But don't think this means I won't see you again later on in the year!" he spat as he trudged off and turned left out of the classroom. 

Neville couldn't move. He was free of detention! He felt euphoric, almost, and had never been happier that week. He savored the feeling before leaving for another rotten meal. 

He saw Luna and Ginny sitting together at the Gryffindor table, and Neville assumed Luna would be joining them regularly from that moment on. 

"My detention's been canceled. I've been dismissed," he said cooly as he sat down next to Luna. 

"What?" Ginny said astonished. "Neville, that's amazing! How did you manage it?"

"Well, I didn't. Carrow just came up to me and said he had some business to attend to. I didn't care to find out, so I kept my mouth shut. But I'm willing to bet  _ anything _ that it's related to You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters. 

"Well, that's brilliant that you were able to wiggle your way out of it," Luna said and patted Neville on the back. His back ached from where she had patted him. The soreness could not bring down his mood, though. He gladly helped the girls sort through food and find bits of clean food that were safe enough to eat. 

With half-full stomachs, they climbed the stairs to the Gryffindor Tower. Luna followed them, not wanting to return to her common room yet. Gladly, they invited her inside the portrait hole. She stepped through and admired how comfortable the common room looked. She loved how the couch sat in front of a fireplace and how roomy it seemed. 

"Alright, we need a plan for tomorrow," said Neville with a confident tone. "I can't lead alone, so I'll definitely need your help; however, activity-wise, I've already come up with a list that I think would be good to start with." He pulled out a piece of folded parchment and handed it to Luna. She unfolded it and showed Ginny. 

"This looks brilliant!" said Ginny eagerly. "I think the graffiti adds a nice touch." Luna agreed and continued to stare at the sheet of paper.

"What if we wrote something about recruiting for the D.A.? I mean, everyone already knows about us, so what's the harm in properly announcing that we're still recruiting?" Luna asked quietly, looking around to make sure no other Gryffindors had heard her.

"She's got a point. I think that's brilliant, Luna." Ginny said. Luna grinned at this compliment and turned to Neville, awaiting his approval. Sitting there, thinking to himself, Neville contemplated this. Would it risk the members of the D.A. since they already knew all the members? 

After a moment's silence, Neville agreed to the plan, believing the benefits outweighed the risks. He took a mental note to discuss that at the meeting. He wanted everyone's thoughts on it so he could take their opinions into account. 

Looking at the clock, they realized that it was ten minutes to curfew. They said goodbye to Luna and led her out of the portrait hole. She walked across the castle to Ravenclaw Tower, hoping no Carrows were lurking around. 

Almost there, she found Snape standing outside the door. His greasy black hair and crooked nose stopped Luna in her tracks. Had she not made it back within the ten minutes? She couldn't have been walking that slowly. 

Almost as though he sensed her presence, he looked up and stared for a moment. "What are you looking at, Lovegood? Get to bed!" He sounded pleased nor angry, only impatient. Luna scurried inside after answering the eagle knocker's riddle and carefully shut the door. 

That night, Ginny, Neville, and Luna all slept the best they had since their first day.


	10. Healing Wounds and Rotten Food

The sun blinded Ginny as she awoke in her bed. She felt groggy and exhausted from how late she was up the night before. Her body ached as she sat upright to head to the bathroom. It was Wednesday. There were no detentions left for her to serve. She was Carrow-free for the time being. But it was only a matter of time before she got herself into trouble again. 

Ginny grabbed her robes and headed for the bathroom to bathe. She felt disgusting and in need of cleansing. Submerging herself in the warm water allowed her sore body to feel much better. Ginny needed to wash away all the fear and pain the Cruciatus Curse had caused her. She needed to cleanse away all the suffering she had endured that past week, including multiple beatings from Alecto Carrow. As she continued scrubbing at herself, the bruises and cuts became more apparent. Alecto had punched her in the face several times to "get it into her head" that mouthing off was no use. As the soap glided over her neck, an olive-toned concealer loosened and washed away, revealing the large hand mark imprinted on her skin. 

And then she cried. She wept a long while before Moaning Myrtle sat beside her. The ghost did not speak but merely placed her ghostly arm around Ginny's shoulders. This brought great comfort to Ginny; relief flowed through her as the last tear fell, mixing with the water from the bath. She collected herself and stepped out to dry her hair and change into her robes. From then on, she promised herself she wouldn't be afraid of the Carrows. It wasn't worth her time to sob and be fearful of two Death Eaters.

It was half-past eight as she headed down for breakfast. She did not bother to cover her wounds. In fact, she wanted to display for the whole student body what the Carrows actually did. She wanted to show everyone who they actually were. 

She walked past Elias Michaels and a few other first-years who stopped to ask if she was alright. She nodded and smiled at them, continuing to walk toward the Great Hall. Ginny wrinkled her nose at the pungent smell of rotting food. Turning into the Hall, the students barely had anything on their platters. Everyone had confused looks and looked upset. Some rubbed their stomachs, expressing their hunger, while others loudly complained and threatened to write to their parents about it. 

Ginny saw Neville sitting with Luna at the Gryffindor table, and she quickly strode over to them. 

"Why's the food rotten? What's going on?" Ginny asked curiously.

"Nevermind why the food's rotting. What happened to you?" Neville asked sincerely. "You didn't have those yesterday, and there's no way you could've gotten into trouble after the hour we got back into the tower."

"It's nothing," she replied swiftly and squirmed in her seat. "Now, please, what's happened?"

Taking the hint that she didn't want to talk about it, Neville answered, "Snape's just announced that there's a food shortage. Personally, I think he's lying. I think they just don't want to feed us. Gin, they're planning something; I know it. By starving us, we're weaker, and our spells won't be as powerful."

It sounded like Neville thought their whole plan through. "You could be an Auror, you know?" She spoke kindly and gave a small smile. He beamed back at her. 

Luna broke the moment when she said, "Guys, I know yesterday's detention was awful, but aren't you scared of going back tonight. What if it's the same thing? What if they  _ Crucio _ you until you do things for yourself?" Instantly, Neville knew she was talking about his parents. 

"Well, being afraid can't stop us from doing what's right," Neville said firmly. Taking this a sign to drop the conversation, they began to sort through the rotten food. If they got lucky, a scrap or two wasn't moldy. Sharing their findings, they left the Hall more full than they thought they would be. 

\----

The day went on fast, and Neville dreaded his detention that evening. The only thing that kept him from causing more trouble in Muggle Studies was the D.A. It was painful to keep quiet during Alecto Carrow's lectures, where she tried to brainwash everyone into believing muggle-born witches and wizards did not deserve their magical powers and should be locked up in Azkaban for it.  _ One more day _ , he told himself.

Lunch passed quickly, along with herbology class. As dinnertime neared, Neville became tenser and tenser, awaiting his detention. Ginny tried to tell him it was alright in the common room earlier that day, but he believed it would be similar to the day before. 

The clock struck five.  _ Dinner, common room, detention, sleep. Dinner, common room, detention sleep.  _ Neville repeated this in his head until he was interrupted by none other than Amycus Carrow on his way down to the Great Hall. The professor yanked on Neville's sweater, pulling him into an empty classroom at the end of the corridor. 

"I have some... business to attend to, so you're excused from your last detention, Mr Longbottom. But don't think this means I won't see you again later on in the year!" he spat as he trudged off and turned left out of the classroom. 

Neville couldn't move. He was free of detention! He felt euphoric, almost, and had never been happier that week. He savored the feeling before leaving for another rotten meal. 

He saw Luna and Ginny sitting together at the Gryffindor table, and Neville assumed Luna would be joining them regularly from that moment on. 

"My detention's been canceled. I've been dismissed," he said cooly as he sat down next to Luna. 

"What?" Ginny said astonished. "Neville, that's amazing! How did you manage it?"

"Well, I didn't. Carrow just came up to me and said he had some business to attend to. I didn't care to find out, so I kept my mouth shut. But I'm willing to bet  _ anything _ that it's related to You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters. 

"Well, that's brilliant that you were able to wiggle your way out of it," Luna said and patted Neville on the back. His back ached from where she had patted him. The soreness could not bring down his mood, though. He gladly helped the girls sort through food and find bits of clean food that were safe enough to eat. 

With half-full stomachs, they climbed the stairs to the Gryffindor Tower. Luna followed them, not wanting to return to her common room yet. Gladly, they invited her inside the portrait hole. She stepped through and admired how comfortable the common room looked. She loved how the couch sat in front of a fireplace and how roomy it seemed. 

"Alright, we need a plan for tomorrow," said Neville with a confident tone. "I can't lead alone, so I'll definitely need your help; however, activity-wise, I've already come up with a list that I think would be good to start with." He pulled out a piece of folded parchment and handed it to Luna. She unfolded it and showed Ginny. 

"This looks brilliant!" said Ginny eagerly. "I think the graffiti adds a nice touch." Luna agreed and continued to stare at the sheet of paper.

"What if we wrote something about recruiting for the D.A.? I mean, everyone already knows about us, so what's the harm in properly announcing that we're still recruiting?" Luna asked quietly, looking around to make sure no other Gryffindors had heard her.

"She's got a point. I think that's brilliant, Luna." Ginny said. Luna grinned at this compliment and turned to Neville, awaiting his approval. Sitting there, thinking to himself, Neville contemplated this. Would it risk the members of the D.A. since they already knew all the members? 

After a moment's silence, Neville agreed to the plan, believing the benefits outweighed the risks. He took a mental note to discuss that at the meeting. He wanted everyone's thoughts on it so he could take their opinions into account. 

Looking at the clock, they realized that it was ten minutes to curfew. They said goodbye to Luna and led her out of the portrait hole. She walked across the castle to Ravenclaw Tower, hoping no Carrows were lurking around. 

Almost there, she found Snape standing outside the door. His greasy black hair and crooked nose stopped Luna in her tracks. Had she not made it back within the ten minutes? She couldn't have been walking that slowly. 

Almost as though he sensed her presence, he looked up and stared for a moment. "What are you looking at, Lovegood? Get to bed!" He sounded pleased nor angry, only impatient. Luna scurried inside after answering the eagle knocker's riddle and carefully shut the door. 

That night, Ginny, Neville, and Luna all slept the best they had since their first day.


	11. Together Again

Awoken by his toad, Neville gladly hopped out from under his sheets. He felt the chilly September air around him as he threw over the covers, but today wasn't the day to be bothered by a little cold. 

He put his robes on and headed down to the common room. There, he met Ginny, standing beside the fireplace waiting for him. 

"Took you long enough," she said contently.

"How long have you been up, then?" he laughed.

"Oh, ages!" she told him. "Probably since half-past six, or even half-past five."

"Well, did you at least sleep well? I mean, you couldn't have slept long if you got up so early." Neville hoped she wouldn't be exhausted that day. He would desperately need her help later that night.

"Oh, I feel the best I have in months," she giggled. "We should get going to meet Luna for breakfast."

They set off for the Hall together, cracking jokes and laughing as they went. Both had a liveliness no one had seen since before Dumbledore's death. As they reached the Great Hall, they found Luna laughing with the first year Neville had talked with.

"Did you invite any first-years?" Ginny asked suddenly. "It wouldn't hurt to invite them. They probably need some help since the Carrows only teach dark magic and brainwash students."

"No, but I think Elias might be a good one. I could teach him, he could relay what he learned to the other first-years, and the Carrows wouldn't know," he explained, hoping it would satisfy Ginny. 

He didn't want to think about the first-years. They were eleven-and-twelve-years-old. With the Carrows at the school, their childhoods would surely be snatched away from them. They didn't deserve any of it; no one did. 

He followed Ginny as he contemplated what to do with Elias. Luna beamed up at them. Her face was red from laughter. They all sat down, waiting for spoiled food to appear, but none did. 

"Looks like they won't bother feeding us now," Ginny said quietly. "Do you think we could get away with sneaking off to Hogsmeade to get some for everyone?"

"Possibly," Neville replied slowly. "I think the Carrows would probably do worse to you than they did two nights ago, though."

"I'm not afraid of the stupid Carrows, though. What are they, really? They're just bullies," she said, her mood swayed to anger at the mention of the Death Eaters. 

"Yeah, but powerful ones," argued Neville. "I just think you should make a well-thought-out plan before leaving, alright?" Ginny nodded. 

They waited the remainder of the time for food to appear, but everyone left to get ready for classes when none did. 

Ginny headed to Potions, Luna was off to Arithmancy, and Neville left for History of Magic class. The day felt like it would never end. Ginny felt antsy and continued to wriggle in her seat throughout her classes. Luna giggled through both of hers and got yelled at by Alecto Carrow in the hallway for it. Neville's couldn't stop imagining what would go down later that evening. 

Finally, it was dinnertime. Although food had not appeared for breakfast or lunch, the students gathered inside the Great hall anyway. After a quarter of an hour passed, food did appear—it was tasty, too. 

Shocked, the students grabbed everything before the feast disappeared. The trio stuffed themselves. Relishing every bite, they did not speak as they ate. Many grabbed some food and stuffed their pockets, worrying they would leave them to starve until dinner as they had today. 

Neville grabbed a few rolls and several handfuls of nuts. Ginny seized several apples, shoving them down her robes' pockets, and she motioned for Luna to grab the remaining garlic bread. Stealing the food from the Hall, the three left in a hurry back up to Gryffindor Tower. 

Shuffling inside the portrait hole, they laid their food down on the table inside the common room. 

"That's good," Neville heaved, out of breath from running down the corridors and up the stairs. "Now we have some breakfast and possibly some lunch. We'll see how much people eat tomorrow." 

As more Gryffindors began climbing through the portrait, the three moved to the couch in front of the fireplace. They tried to talk to pass the time. Before they knew it, eight o'clock was ten minutes away. 

"Oh, we've gotta go!" Neville said as a wave of excitement rushed through all three of them.

They left the tower and began climbing the stairs to the seventh floor. Peering around every corner to watch for the Carrows, they made it in front of the Room of Requirement just in time. 

_ I need a place to help us plan to defeat the Carrows. I need a place to help us plan to defeat the Carrows. _

Neville looked up; a large door appeared. It was the same door they had entered for their meetings during their fifth year. Nostalgia swept over Neville as he pushed the door open. He remembered the thrill of almost getting caught. As he stepped inside, he saw everyone clustered together in the center of the room. 

"Neville!" he heard the Patil twins shout.

"Hey, everyone!" he said with rising confidence. "Thanks for coming tonight. I wanted to start this sooner, but the Carrows made it slightly difficult." Everyone chuckled, which gave Neville all he needed to start the meeting without Ginny's or Luna's help. "I've been thinking for a while, and since we're all pretty advanced with our defensive spells, we should do more than just practice those. I think we should taunt the Carrows and Snape. Write messages on the walls, cause chaos for them. So, does anyone have any ideas besides graffiti?"

He hoped someone would have an idea, but no one did. "Alright then, how about we start with... Patronuses. That's where we left off two years ago, right?" Heads nodded, and everyone scattered into different parts of the room. 

The room filled with cries of " _ Expecto Patronum _ ," and several silver patronuses shot out of wands. Neville walked around to see if anyone needed help. After passing everyone, Neville conjured a non-corporeal Patronus that hovered over Luna. 

Luna's hare bounced around Neville, and she giggled as it hopped between his legs. He cast the spell again, trying to get it into corporeal form. 

" _ Expecto Patronum _ ," he said firmly. A cane toad shot out from his wand and joined the hare in hopping around the room. Cheers and clapping erupted; everyone congratulated Neville. He had never cast a corporeal Patronus before. 

He high-fived Ginny as Luna ran up to hug him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he awkwardly held her by the waist and smiled sheepishly. The hug lasted for a few seconds before she broke away. After that, the rest of the meeting went by faster than he imagined. 

He cast his Patronus twice more and then went around to help the others again. Colin Creevey and Nigel Wolpert were the last two wh could only produce non-corporeal Patronuses.

"It's alright," Neville told them. "It takes practice, and I know you'll get it eventually. I mean, look at me! It took me until my seventh year to produce a full Patronus. If you want, you could practice outside of our meetings, but do it only with other members of the D.A. around." They both nodded and gave Neville small smiles. 

As the meeting concluded, Neville said, "Remember to check your coins throughout the week. I'll probably change the date tomorrow afternoon. We could meet this weekend to discuss the graffiti and other ways to taunt them." He paused, looking for approval. "Well, see you all soon. Keep up the great work! Let's head out in groups of four." 

A door appeared on the opposite wall from where they came through. Neville, Luna, and Ginny stayed behind to watch everyone leave. Finally, they were the last to leave, rounding each corner with caution. Luna said goodnight to them and headed in the opposite direction from them. The Fat Lady gave them an earful, saying that they better be the last group or she would have a fit. 

"That went really well, I think," Ginny told Neville. "You did great leading it!" 

"Thanks, I didn't think I had it in me, but then there was something that kept me from stopping!" Neville replied contently. 

"Neville," she said gently. "I— I've been wondering, do you fancy Luna by any chance?"

Neville wasn't sure how to respond. There was a long pause where neither one of them spoke. He thought about it, and he himself was confused about her. 

"I'm not sure," he said after a few long moments. "Maybe I do."

Ginny nodded and patted him on the back. She then retreated up the stairs to her bed, and Neville was left standing alone with only his thoughts.


	12. Stresses and Strains

Neville awoke as a cold draft swept through the room. Almost a month had passed since the first D.A. meeting. Before they knew it, mid-October hit them with cool mornings and little rain. The Great Hall was not filled with pumpkin decorations as it had been in the past. Snape nor the Carrows would allow such accessories to render hope to the students.

Their routines had not changed since September. Breakfast and lunch were rarely served; if a meal was provided, it was cold and musty. The students continued to shove food down their robes and bring it to their common rooms for safekeeping. Neville had an odd feeling that the Heads of Houses knew of this, but if they did, it was never reported to the Carrows—he discreetly thanked Professor McGonagall. All she managed was a forced smile in return.

The last thing the students had left to look forward to was dinnertime. Proper food was served so they could fill their starved stomachs. Muggle Studies and D.A.D.A. lessons hadn't changed. Alecto continued her lectures on how Muggle-borns were scum; Amycus began to teach more advanced jinxes and curses after most had mastered the Oppugno jinx.

There were only two significant changes that month: Snape's new decree, allowing all students to read the  _ Daily Prophet _ , and a news broadcast called  _ Potterwatch _ .

Luna suspected that Death Eaters had control of the newspaper. However, she was baffled they hadn't made attempts to seize control of  _ The Quibbler _ , where Xenophilius Lovegood continued to express his support for Harry.

Ginny constantly tuned in to  _ Potterwatch _ . It was a radio program founded by their old friend Lee Jordan. The voices of Remus Lupin, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Fred Weasley sounded from the newscast every few nights or so. They shared the truthful news that the Ministry (which was now under Voldemort's control) refused to report and openly opposed the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord. Neville and Luna didn't interrupt Ginny as she listened to it during their evening meetings in the Gryffindor common room. They knew she was only listening to see if either her family or Harry turned up dead. After two weeks of listening, it became an unhealthy obsession; that's when Seamus took over and outlined each story’s basics for Ginny.

\----

Leaves began turning warmer colors and started to fall from their branches. It was late-October when certain members of the D.A. noticed the Carrows tailing them. That's when they implemented a lookout system. One member would stand outside the Room of Requirement (out of sight) and let others know if either Carrow sibling was nearby. 

The week before, Seamus had been caught while on lookout duty. He was tortured with the Cruciatus Curse for information. When he didn't give in, they beat him for an hour straight before sending him to the hospital wing to be tended to by Madam Pomfrey.

Several members were alarmed by his torment, but Neville was able to calm his peers by telling them that Harry would come back soon and help overthrow the Carrows. This provided enough hope for them to carry on with their gatherings.

One night while in the Gryffindor common room, Neville said, "I think we should do more graffiti tomorrow. Maybe something like 'Dumbledore's Army, still recruiting!' Snape will have a fit, plus the Carrow will blame us but won't have substantial proof to enact a punishment."

"Neville, they won't care if there's enough evidence to punish you. They'll do it anyway. Besides, you've been in five more detentions, two of which consisted of Crabbe and Goyle beating you 'til you passed out," Ginny mentioned out of worry.

"You think a little fear of detention should stop us?" Neville said passionately. "Ginny, you said it to the D.A. last week! 'Being scared of the Carrows doesn't do us any good. We have to stand up for ourselves and our school.'" She shot him a warning look as he imitated her voice.

Luna, who had remained silent for the past couple of days, quietly said, "I think Neville's right. Doubt shouldn't stop us."

"That settles it then," Neville said, his gaze met Ginny's. "Come on, if we're careful, we won't get caught! We haven't been for the past month! What's wrong with us having one more go?"

"Alright, fine. I'm convinced," she said, rolling her eyes and grinning. With no further discussion, she got up from her seat and left for her dorm, leaving Neville alone with Luna.

When Ginny was gone, her question from September rung in Neville's ears:  _ Do you fancy Luna? _ It was like a church bell that never stopped clanging. Every time Luna and he were left alone together, the query would creep back into his thoughts. He always ended up making small talk with her instead of addressing it. Today, however, it didn't go as it had the last few times.

"Luna, are you still worried about your father? You know, with what he's writing in  _ The Quibbler _ and all?" He accidentally let it slip.  _ Merlin's beard, of all the things you could have said to her, you ask about the one thing that actually bothers her! _ he replied to himself inaudibly.

She did not look up, for she was lost in her own sea of thoughts, fretting about what would happen if Death Eaters did decide to punish her father. She hadn't heard Neville's slip up, and he was glad for it. He noticed her somber mood and forgot all about his feeling for her.

Ginny and he had recently noticed that Luna's mood frequently swung from a content and clever girl to a sad and distant stranger.

"Luna, you alright?" Neville said a little louder, placing a hand on her shoulder. She flinched hard, so he quickly withdrew it. "Hey, you can talk to me. You know that, right?" She nodded but didn't speak. Both remained quiet for a long while before Luna rose from her spot to sit beside him in front of the fireplace.

They sat adjacent to each other; although heat radiated from the flames, they hugged their knees to their chests, for the room was still chilly. Luna pulled her sleeves over her hands and shivered violently. Neville observed this and hastily put his arm around her, pulling her into a hug. She buried her face into Neville's chest, giving him the okay to wrap his other arm around her. He held her tight until the last of the Gryffindors went up the stairs for bed.

"Yeah," she finally answered his question after sitting with him for what felt like ages. "Thanks, Neville, I mean it. I think that the Death Eaters would have already done something to him if they truly wanted to stop him from writing."

Neville's eyes locked with hers, and he nodded, unsure of what to say. Comforting people was never his strong suit, but he desperately wanted to make her feel better for Luna. Before he could say anything, though, she smiled at him and checked the time.

"Oh, I should get going. I'll try to lighten up for tomorrow. See you tomorrow at breakfast!" She disappeared through the portrait hole.

Neville wasn't sure how he felt, so he decided to join Elias Michaels in heading to the boys' dormitories. Perplexed and uncertain of his feelings, he thought sleep would help him sort it out.

He opened the door to his room, only to find Seamus sleeping soundly in his bed. They were the only remaining seventh-year boys. Harry and Ron hadn't been heard from since before the term started, and Dean was on the run because he was a suspected Muggle-born and could not prove his blood status.

A million thoughts were crammed inside Neville's brain, but all he could think of was Luna and her father. He began to drift off as he prayed they would not become the next targets of the Dark Lord.

He dozed into a dreamless sleep.


	13. Coward or Hero?

The next morning, Luna was very energetic and ready to start her day. Ginny looked at Neville with her mouth agape; she was speechless and curious about what Neville had said to her after going to bed. Neville gave her a slight head shake, so she started to eat a piece of bread they had snuck from the previous night's dinner. 

Luna began talking to a Seamus Finnigan when Neville noticed a  _ Daily Prophet  _ issue laying alongside his platter. He saw Harry's picture and picking up the paper on impulse. He began to read: 

**10,000 GALLEON REWARD FOR**

**UNDESIRABLE NO. 1**

> Where is Harry Potter? The last sighting was before Hogwarts started the first term. He mysteriously vanished before Mr Bill and Fleur Weasley's wedding. Although several who attended the wedding suspect he was disguised, it is still unclear where he escaped to. 
> 
> He appears to be on the run from the Dark Lord and his supporters. Much of the wizarding community is calling him a coward; some go so far as to say he is a traitor. With little information, the Ministry asks for your support and patience. 
> 
> The most skilled and most reliable Aurors are currently searching for Potter and a known friend of his, Hermione Granger. Although they usually travel with a third party, their lesser-known friend, Ronald Weasley, is ill with Spattergroit. Ministry workers have confirmed that he is indeed unwell. 
> 
> At the start of September, the Ministry was infiltrated. This news was not shared, for the Ministry was confident they had cornered Potter and Granger. Evidence to 12 Grimmauld Place, where Potter resided before being caught trespassing in the Ministry. All workers found was a house-elf that refused to talk. 
> 
> "He's a coward! A fraud!" Ministry worker Lucius Malfoy said. "He's been hiding out when he should" 
> 
> _ Continue to page 4 _

Neville didn't want to finish the article. He was more bothered by the fact that the Ministry break-in wasn't reported at the start of the semester. Had it really been Harry? he asked himself. This was huge news to him. He shoved the paper into Ginny's hands, and she began to read the column. She gave a slight gasp and then handed it off to Luna. 

After all three had read it, Neville spoke. "Did you hear about that? I don't think they reported it, did they?" Both shook their heads and looked just as perplexed as he was. 

"Harry broke into the Ministry!" Ginny said to herself in amazement. She blushed at Harry's name, and a wide grin spread across her face. She looked up to find Luna and Neville glancing between each other and herself. They both laughed, and Ginny was flustered but chuckled as they continued giggling.

"I think that's something everyone in the D.A. should know about," Neville said after they had calmed down. "It proves what I've been saying this whole time: Harry will be back." 

"Oh, alright!" she gently hit Neville's am. She had listened to him tell the others Harry would ultimately come back since the D.A. reassembled. "I think you're on to something, for sure." As she said this, she folded the newspaper and stuffed it into her robe. 

After a few more minutes of chatting, owls swarmed the room. Letters and gifts were dropped off. Ginny tried to find Snape, but he was not in his seat. A medium-sized barn owl swooped down near the trinity and dropped a new issue of  _ The Quibbler _ . 

Luna swiftly grabbed the neatly rolled paper before Neville or Ginny had the chance to raise their arms and reach for it. The front page said: 

> Where is The Boy Who Lived?
> 
> Opinion Article by Xenophilius Lovegood
> 
> The boy who lived, otherwise known as Harry Potter, hasn't been seen since the beginning of August. Although there is speculation that he is on the run from the He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, I refuse to believe he is in hiding. The Harry Potter I know would never leave the Wizarding World to fend for themselves.
> 
> I, too, suspected Mr Potter's presence at the Weasley wedding; however, no proof surfaced of his appearance. In my humble opinion, Mr Potter is not running away from danger, but running towards it. 
> 
> The Ministry refused to announce the intrusion because the perpetrators escaped, despite several Ministry officials and guards in the area. How they were able to sneak in undetected is still unclear. The Minister refused to comment after I attempted to interview him several times. 
> 
> The real question is not "Where is Harry Potter?" but should be "What is the Ministry hiding, and why do they refuse to report the truthful news?" 
> 
> Although I could go into detail about my theories, my main focus is to inform you of the Ministry break-in and speculate what Harry Potter could be up to. 
> 
> Whatever dangers Potter poses, I am certain he will persevere and continue whatever he started the day of that wedding. There will be a day when us wizards will not be afraid to speak the name of You-Know-Who, for Potter will vanquish him. He will be the Wizarding World's hero, for he is the Chosen One.
> 
> Now, Mr Potter, I speak directly to you if you're reading this: tread with caution and be wary of those hunting you. I fear the worst if you are caught. Trust no one but yourself and whom you travel with. Save us!

"Wow!" Luna said brightly! "Ginny, Neville, look what he wrote! It's quite brave of him to do that, don't you think?" Ginny leaned over Neville's shoulder to read the editorial. Her lips curved upward as she finished the feature.

"Luna, it's lovely," she said, hoping Luna wouldn't become gloomy like she had the day before. "I think it's wonderful that your father's trying to tell the actual truth."

Luna smiled and hummed to herself as she took a swig of pumpkin juice. She quietly giggled; it was a sweet sound that hadn't been heard from her since the first D.A. meeting. Ginny wished they could stay in that moment for a little longer. She just wanted the laughter to stay for another minute longer. 

Amycus Carrow had other plans. He began heading towards the Gryffindor table and looked at them in such a chilling way, the hairs on their necks stood up. He silently tottered past the three as though he suspected they were up to something mischievous. 

Ginny did not break eye contact but held her breath as she watched him until he turned the corner out of the Great Hall. The color drained from her face as she clenched her hands into tight fists. Her lungs screamed for air by the time she exhaled loudly. Her fear of the Carrows was nearly gone, but there were still occasions when she felt panic rising within her. 

"You okay?" Neville asked, breaking the silence and snapped her back to reality. "Maybe you should eat something. You're a bit pale."

Quickly, she took another bite from her stolen roll. She felt someone's gaze upon her, so she looked around the Hall. That's when her eyes met Draco Malfoy's. His gaze was cold and hard. Ginny, however, was not unnerved by Malfoy. She hadn't seen Malfoy since the day Dumbledore was killed. What did he need from her?

After a second's eye contact, he looked away and got up from his seat. He rushed out of the Hall to the Slytherin common room. Ginny got up and darted off after him, ignoring Neville and Luna calling out for her.


	14. Inner Conflicts

He ran to his dormitory because he couldn't face her, not after what he'd done at the end of last year. He turned the corner to the Slytherin Dungeon sharply. A drop of sweat trickled down the side of his face, and his breath quickened as he broke into a sprint. He did not check to see if she was following; he felt no need to. The Carrows began to relax around him, under the impression he was one hundred percent loyal to the Dark Lord.  _ Was he on Vo— _ his _ side? _

Since that night in the Astronomy Tower, he struggled to understand where he stood. His brain felt like exploding because his parents' morals conflicted with his own. Still breathing hard, he stood before a bare stone wall. 

" _ Mors comedenti _ ," he said firmly. A dark passageway revealed itself, and he stepped into the darkness.

\----

Ginny tried to keep up with Malfoy noiselessly; regrettably, her steps echoed through the corridor leading to the Slytherin dungeon. The platinum blonde boy seemed to be in too much of a hurry to hear. He rounded a corner, and Ginny listened for the Slytherin password. She did not catch it, so she dashed to the bare-wall hallway. If the entranceway closed before she made it inside, it would be useless trying to get in.

As she came around the corner, Malfoy was entering a dark passageway. She waited a moment before following him through the dim hole in the wall. He began to sit on the couch when Ginny couldn't help but shout, "Malfoy!"

His head snapped in her direction, and he instinctively fixed his black suit. His icy grey eyes stared into Ginny's warm butterbeer-colored ones. For a second, she thought Malfoy's expression showed a flicker of fear. She almost smiled but stopped herself at the last second. 

"How did you get in?" he asked angrily. "Get. Out. You aren't allowed in here, filthy blood traitor!" His tone was filled with warning. The name-calling had become old, and being called a blood traitor no longer bothered Ginny. "Weasley,  _ what do you want? _ " He was practically shouting at her; his hands were balled into fists.

Ginny took a moment to respond. "I could ask you the same thing." Her voice shook slightly, but Malfoy was too stressed to catch it. "You were the one staring," she shot at him. 

Before he had the chance to respond, she punched him square in the face. He thought he felt his nose break, but that was the least of his concerns. She continued to hit him repeatedly, acting irrationally. After several more slaps, she pushed him against the wall and drew her wand, pointing it right under Malfoy's chin. 

The blonde boy began to whimper. What could have been a tear dribbled down his face, but he passed it off as sweat, wiping the droplet instantly. His nose began to bleed, and his face turned paler than ever.

"Wow, tough little Weasley!" he laughed. "Where’s your  _ boyfriend _ ? Haven't seen him lately, have you? Where's Potter?" He spat the last sentence so arrogantly that Ginny couldn't hold herself together any longer. 

She spotted a trophy shelf on the opposite end of the room. " _ Oppugno _ !" she said aggressively. One of the cups flew from the shelf and spun in his direction. Ginny held her hand steady as she attempted to aim a sharp wood corner at the base of the award towards Malfoy.

Thinking fast, Malfoy yelled, " _ Arresto Momentum _ !" The trophy's movement slowed, and Ginny let it fall to the floor. 

" _ Stupefy _ !" was the only other spell that popped into her head. Malfoy blocked it with a swift motion. Ginny could see his anger rising, so she pushed even harder. " _ Levicorpus _ !" He was too quick and moved out of the way.

" _ Petrificus Totalus _ !" he said. Ginny barely blocked the Body-Bind Curse. It didn't surprise her one bit that Malfoy was beginning to fight back. That's what she wanted. 

Unable to control her emotions, she shouted, " _ Diffindo _ !" He was a hair too late, and the spell grazed his cheek. The blood spilled from the fresh laceration. 

An even more engaged Malfoy shouted, " _ Sectumsempra _ !" Ginny blocked the curse but stood there, dumbfounded that he would stoop so low. Malfoy looked equally shocked but said nothing. 

They both stood there silently; he was unable to meet Ginny's gaze. Both heaved, exhausted from casting spells at one another. Before either one could speak, the rest of Malfoy's posse loudly made their way through the opening. 

"I guess you can go back to scheming with you Death Eater friends," she said fiercely, her face scrunched out of disgust for what Malgoy had just tried. 

Ginny pushed past Pany Parkinson, Crabbe, and Goyle. The trio began shouting insults as she ran to the other side of the wall, but she let them taunt her. Before she could lose her temper, she disappeared around the corner and ran up to Gryffindor Tower.

\----

Draco had let his anger get out of control.  _ What were you thinking? Sectumesmpra would have killed her, and the Carrows would have beaten you for it! _ he thought to himself.  _ Surely she wouldn't tell anyone besides Neville and Luna. If either Amycus or Alecto heard talk of any sort, they'd probably be Crucio-ed until they were mad.  _

At least he wouldn't be punished by his father's Death Eater friends. But then he thought of how they were supposed to be  _ his _ Death Eater friends. His stomach churned at the thought of being friends with such evil siblings. They had watched out for him throughout the year, but it was only under after his father continuously beseeched for them to do so; they had asked for something in return, so it wasn't even a favor. 

Pansy's annoying, high-pitched baby voice brought him back to the present, where blood was now dripping onto his robes. 

"Merlin's beard, Draco! Are you alright? Let's get you to Madam Pomfrey! I'll stay with you, so you're not alone!" He had gotten sick of Pansy babying him. It was something she had done since their fourth year after he asked her to the Yule Ball. 

He always suspected she was under the impression that he fancied her, but she never addressed it; neither one mentioned the idea of them dating. He would never date her, anyway, because she never knew when to shut it. She also never knew when enough was enough.

For instance, on the way to Hogwarts the year before, she asked to play with his hair, and he allowed her to because he enjoyed the attention. Throughout that year, she asked on multiple occasions if she could stroke his hair again, and he turned her down every single time. 

"Pansy, shut it! No, I don't need to go to Madam Pomfrey. I'm fine," he said, the asperity in his voice made Pansy take a step back. Her eyes filled with tears, but she ran upstairs to try to hide her sorrow. Loud sobs could be heard as she ran to her dormitory.

"What a git," said an amused Goyle. Crabbe high-fived him, and they both set off for their rooms. Draco stood alone in the common room once more, hearing the distant songs of the Merpeople in the Black Lake above him. 

Closing his eyes, Draco felt peaceful and relaxed. The song was enchanting. The Merpeople's music was one of the few things that prompted him to stay at Hogwarts. His anxiety melted away whenever their voices travelled as far as the common room. He could lose himself in their tune, but only for a moment. 

He imagined a world where Death Eaters and the Dark Lord were defeated; he would live in a small wood cabin surrounded by a colorful garden, far away from Malfoy Manor. He'd give anything for this dream to become his reality. His eyes fluttered open at the sound of the passageway appearing, and he climbed the stairs before anyone saw him. 

His moment of euphoria had passed. He would never lay in a vibrant field of flowers, own a small vegetable garden, or experience love, for no one could fancy a Death Eater. His dream was crushed as the weight of being the Dark Lord's servant fell upon his shoulders once more. 

The light that kept the broken blonde boy hoping had gone for good.


	15. The Castle Helps… Again

Luna and Neville waited in the Gryffindor common room after classes had finished. Ginny hadn't been seen all day. The Carrows were eager for her return so they could give her a detention, but she never showed for Dark Arts lessons. 

"She set off after Malfoy and then disappears. I bet Malfoy's done something?" Neville asked impatiently. He hated when either Luna or Ginny was unaccounted for. Ever since Muggles started disappearing, he kept track of everyone he knew—Harry and Hermione being the only exceptions—because anyone could turn up dead after missing for ages. 

"I think she'll be back eventually," Luna said as she played with her fingers. "We'll go to Professor McGonagall if she doesn't turn up by dinner." Neville let out a long breath and nodded.

Half-past five felt like an eternity to wait. Neville sank into the couch cushions and rested his head on Luna's gaunt shoulder. He felt her relax under him, so he closed his eyes for a moment—he hadn't gotten a minute's rest since the year started. 

\----

He awoke with a start to Luna shaking him hard. He didn't know how long he'd been asleep, but all he remembered was he needed to go down to dinner to wait for Ginny. 

"Ginny," he muttered. His brain felt fuzzy. "We have to go wait for her." His eyes fluttered open. His vision was blurred, and he couldn't make out who was near him. Blinking hard, the room slowly came into focus. He looked around to find Ginny sitting in front of him. "What? When did you get here?" he asked, dazed. 

"Not long before dinner. Here, I brought you and Luna a few bits of garlic bread and some custard." She took two greasy bread slices out of her pocket and handed them to Neville. Luna took the custard and began eating silently. 

The fireplace was lit, warming the entire tower. A few younger years sat at one end of the common room doing homework. Aside from them, everyone else had left for their rooms in dire need of a break from the Carrows patrolling the now-empty corridors. 

"Oh," he said and turned to Luna. "Sorry about making you miss dinner. You could have woken me up. I wouldn't've minded." Luna gave a small shrug and smiled at him. 

"That's beside the point," Ginny said in a lower voice. "I need to tell you guys something. It's about Malfoy." She proceeded to whisper what had happened in the Slytherin common room that morning. She described how she lost her temper, but so did he. Luna gasped when she mentioned that he tried the Continuous Cutting curse on her; Neville shook his head in disbelief. "So, yeah," she finished detailing the account, nervously waiting for her friends' reactions.

"That little git!" Neville yelled. Some group of younger years stared in their direction but quickly turned back to their work when Ginny glared at them. 

"It's fine, really! I just didn't think he would stoop so low and actually try that on me. Even after Harry cast it on him last year!" she said exasperated. "I mean, Harry described the curse slashing a person repeatedly. He's a slimy little—"

Luna began to laugh mid-sentence, interrupting Ginny's rant. She couldn't stop and began snorting when Neville and Ginny told her to knock it off. After a moment of confusion, all three began laughing uncontrollably. 

Ginny appreciated her friends for little moments like these. Unexpected laughs like this were what kept her from succumbing to the tempting hopelessness and fear that encircled them. 

When the moment had passed, Neville cleared his throat and was serious again. "I'm doing the graffiti that I mentioned yesterday. Is either of you planning on coming with?" Luna volunteered, but Ginny had to stay behind because she didn't finish her Dark Arts essay. She thought pissing off the Alecto would be stupid if it was over an essay. Neville agreed and reached for his forged Galleon and changed the message:  _ If interested in more graffiti, meet tonight at 8. _

They talked for the rest of the hour, cracking jokes and making the most of their evening. All three forgot about Malfoy by the time eight o'clock almost hit. 

"Better get going. Wouldn't want to be late for our own graffiti party!" he laughed. He stood and reached his hand out towards Luna to help her up, too. They said goodnight to Ginny and snuck out the portrait hole to the seventh floor. As they reached the empty corridor wall where the door would appear, the Carrows' voices could be heard around the corner. 

Neville acted quickly, grabbing Luna's hand and hiding with her inside a dark broom closet. He shut the door softly, assuming it wouldn't creak as it closed. They were trapped together in the dim closet; the only light source poured in through the crack under the door. 

" _ Lumos _ ," he murmured. The tip of his wand glowed with a brilliant white light. He hoped the lanterns were bright enough to conceal his wand light, should it slip through any cracks in the door. 

The room had a few brooms and about a dozen shelves filled with extra potions ingredients. Neville couldn't see what was on the last two shelves, despite being one hundred and eighty-three centimeters tall. Slughorn must not have thought the ingredients were important enough to stash in his office. A pile of dusty, untouched books sat in the corner opposite of where the brooms sat. 

He turned back to Luna, who was staring up at him. Their faces were inches apart, and he could feel her hot breath on his neck. He gave her an awkward smile as he realized how uncomfortably close they were. Trying to shift, they ended up closer together, and she suppressed a giggle. Her dirty blonde hair was in her eyes, but she looked... pretty. Neville reached to move the strands of hair out of her face but accidentally knocked the pile of books over. 

The sound of hurried footsteps grew nearer to the closet door. Neville panicked and looked around for a way not to get caught.  _ I need a way to get out of here without being seen by the Carrows. _ He repeated this phrase in his head until he noticed a small trapdoor under the scattered books appeared. 

He reached for the silver handle and lifted it to reveal a small tunnel. He motioned for Luna to jump down, and she reluctantly hopped into the hole in the floor. Neville joined her as soon as she moved out of sight. The door closed with a soft thud, and they waited in the dimly lit passage. 

They heard the Carrows burst into the closet. The flap vanished before their eyes, and the angry sounds above became muffled. The tunnel hardly stretched three hundred feet before another ladder revealed itself along with another door above them. 

Neville had a bad feeling about wherever they had been led, but Luna trusted the castle was assisting them. She reached up and pushed the wood frame open, revealing a crowd of people who Neville couldn't recognize at first.

"Bloody hell, Neville! How'd ye do that?" The voice overhead belonged to Seamus Finnigan. Neville sighed as relief washed over him. After he and Luna made it out of the passageway, he was still confounded. They stood in the Room of Requirement with a few other D.A. members. 

That's when everything clicked. Neville's lips curved upward as he tried not to get too excited over his realization. 

"The room helped us!" he said for the group to hear him. "It's like in our fifth year, Seamus, when we needed a place to practice when Harry was still here! Remember? The room appeared because we needed it!" He quickly briefed them on their narrow escape, and several people told them they were relieved they made it out. "Anyways," Neville continued, "don't you see? It created a passage for us because we needed it! Maybe that's how it'll help us this year." His excitement could barely be contained. 

The group took a moment to consider his theory, and most of them agreed it was the most logical explanation. After talking a while longer about the discovery, the room fell silent, waiting for Neville's instructions. 

"Let's get to vandalizing!" There were several whoops and cheers as they grabbed the containers of paint they'd stolen the month before. 

They were cautious when leaving, wanting to avoid another close run-in with the Carrows. That night was the happiest Neville had felt since the start of the term. 


	16. New Members

Neville and the rest of the D.A. continued to paint messages around the school. It drove the Carrows and Snape mad when they were unable to catch them in the act. All three knew they were responsible, but none of them had ever been caught.

The risk of detection made it all the more fun. The rush of adrenaline that flowed through them as they crept around the near-empty corridors and getting caught red-handed was exciting. Taunting Snape and the Carrows had heightened everyone's spirits.

Some nights, when he was in detention, Ginny or Luna took over for him. The Curciatus Curse had never gotten less painful. Still, his fear of the curse was diminishing every time Crabbe, Goyle, or Pansy—she joined them mid-October, delighted to practice on Neville or Ginny—uttered " _ Crucio _ " while pointing their wands at him. The boys had improved considerably; their time had jumped from an average of a mere four seconds to ten.

After every detention, Neville either limped to the Gryffindor Tower with his face beaten beyond recognition, or he was too weak to make it past the portrait. Ginny was similar; only she had come back with large hand marks on her neck, shoulders, and wrists. One could only assume Alecto Carrow presumed squeezing her would be torture. Ginny was cunning, though, and acted as it did terrify her, for her punishment would be less severe. Amycus wasn't as "soft" as his sister. Crabbe and Goyle were allowed to punish those in detention however they saw fit. Because they were bullies, they preferred to beat on the younger years. Ginny and Neville soon realized how cowardly they truly. They refused to practice the Cruciatus Curse on the pair unless ordered to do so by Amycus.

Luna was one of the few that hadn't experienced the torment of the curse. She wound up in detention, but Snape was always the one to discipline her. The worst punishment she had was going with Hagrid to the Forbidden Forest. It must have been luck that kept her out of the Carrows' detentions because, by November, half the school had been chastised by the cruel Death Eaters.

Neville's bravery inspired Seamus; he found himself standing up for himself and other housemates, which frequently landed him in detention. One time, Alecto called him dirty for being half-blood. For her remark, he threw a book at her head, breaking her nose and cracking one of her rotting teeth. The class rejoiced, but he was sent to detention for the rest of the month. He was too headstrong to accept an easier punishment. Giving the Carrows the satisfaction of believing they had won wasn't in his nature.

After so many of the older students rebelled, first-years started receiving detentions for so much as looking at a Deputy Head the wrong way. These detentions were served in the dungeons, where they would be chained to the wall; this left them cold and weak by sunrise.

Several of the older-years began to insult the Carrows and cause disturbances because of the cruel new punishment. It amazed Neville that they could cause such a commotion.

\----

Neville kept his promise to Elias Michaels and a few other first-years about teaching them actual defensive spells. He found how Hermione forged the galleons and made ones for each of them. Explaining how they worked, the group was fascinated.

The next meeting was when Neville showed them the best way to sneak out of the tower undetected. They remained silent the entire journey up to the seventh floor; if Filch, Snape, or the Carrows caught them, they didn't fancy having the Cruciatus Curse performed on them. They relied on the older-years to act out and rebel in lessons.

When the door to the Room of Requirement appeared, they had to hold their breaths, fearing their excitement would burst out and draw unwanted attention. After they made it inside, Neville was bombarded with questions. He patiently answered them all as best he could and started the meeting.

"Neville," said Julia Emitson, another first-year, "why can't I stand up to both Professor Carrows as you do?" Neville was touched by her comment and answered her honestly.

"Detention isn't any fun. Why would you want to spend your time there when you could be doing schoolwork? I know it may sound like a good idea, but if this continues until your older, which I hope it doesn't, you could definitely rise against them when you've grown." She smiled innocently at him.

They were too young.  _ Eleven-years-old! _ This shouldn't be a battle they had to worry about. His heart ached for them. They were fighting a war not meant for children. Their first year had already been horrid, but he couldn't imagine what it would be like if Snape's reign continued. Hogwarts would never be a home to them. They would never experience the magic of friends, the thrill of Quidditch rivalries, or the kindness of Professor Dumbledore.

He called Luna over and asked her to teach them a simple stunning spell. She willingly began showing the group the correct wand movement. They started without wands and advanced to trying it on her.

Neville left them, trusting that Luna would do a wonderful job of instructing them. He turned back to the group and got everyone to begin their practice sessions. By then, every original member of the D.A. had cast fully corporeal Patronuses.

Unsure of what to do, he asked everyone what they wanted to do for the hour and a half. The answers were a mix of spells and pranks. Neville ultimately decided that it wouldn't hurt to have a practice day. Almost every meeting had consisted of them creating a new way to defy the new deputy heads and headmaster physically. Not wanting their overdue this, he promised them they could set off to do so the next time they met.

A thud sounded from the other side of the room. Luna lay on the ground, but she quickly rose and ran to hug Elias Michaels. She and the first-years were congratulating him on casting his first stunning spell. Some cheers erupted from across the room near Neville. Elias's face flushed as he was now the center of attention. He smiled sheepishly and turned back to his friends, who were all attempting to hug him.

Neville caught Luna's eye and grinned. She beamed back at him and giggled to herself. He turned back around to face the others. The time left flew by, and before he knew it, it was time to return to the tower.

He split everyone into groups and sent them back to their dormitories. When the coin's numbers increased by one, he knew they had made it back safely and sent the next group off.

He was the last to leave, along with Ginny and the first-years. As they snuck past Snape's office, they heard angry shouts from inside. Neville instinctively looked at Ginny. She had a worried expression that was she quickly wiped.

"Why can't we kill them now?!" came the muffled voice belonging to Alecto Carrow. "Both the boy  _ and _ the girl have caused enough trouble already! They need to be either be punished more severely" The group stopped. Neville carefully pressed his ear to the door.

Ginny urged Elias and the rest of the first-years to head to hurry back to the common room if they were caught out of bed. They ran along the corridor––trailing their light footsteps were echoes bounding off the walls. She stood above Neville, also listening to the heated conversation.

"Now, now, Alecto. Calm yourself," Snape said sharply. "You haven't seen the boy do  _ anything _ , have you?" There was a pause, and they assumed she was making a gesture with her head behind the closed door. "I cannot permit you to kill Longbottom or Weasley...  _ yet _ ." The last word gave the pair outside the door

A low snarl was heard from what sounded like Alecto, and footsteps traveled closer to the door. Ginny widened her eyes at Neville, signaling it was time to go. He nodded, and they dashed up the stairs and through the portrait hole.

They were breathless by the time they were safely inside the tower. They went up to their dormitories silently, but Ginny didn't turn towards the girls' side when they reached the top. Instead, she followed Neville into his dorm. They found Seamus sitting on his bed, waiting for them to return.

"Hey, Seamus, why are you still up?" Ginny asked.

"I could ask ye the same thing," was his response, a wide smile spread across his face. "So, I've been thinking..."

"Oh no, he has an idea, Neville!" Ginny interrupted and laughed. "Let's hear it then."

"Okay. So I've been thinking, with the Carrows escalatin' their punishments, with chainin' firs'-years up 'till sunrise and whatnot? We've got ter do somethin'." Neville and Ginny nodded in agreement. "So what if..." he paused for dramatic effect, "we help 'em escape? Like, wait fer the Carrows ter leave and sneak in ter help 'em."

Neville looked at Ginny; he could tell she was very into this plan. He thought it over and decided the benefits outweighed the risks.

"Let's do it."


	17. Caught

Ginny dangled her feet from her bed and felt the icy ground beneath her. She looked through her window, and snow softly fell to the ground. November passed quicker than she realized; the date was now 1 December. 

It had been about a month and a half since Seamus introduced the idea of helping first-years escape the Carrows. When Neville mentioned the idea at the following D.A. meeting, every person volunteered to help track the Carrows' movements; they were also eager to plot the best way to release the younger years. They decided to call each rescue a " _ servat _ " for short. Luna said it meant "saves" in Latin. 

It took a month to prepare—to guarantee they made no mistake when it came to their movements. Although Harry had taken the Marauder's Map with him, they discovered each Carrow sibling had a predictable routine—Amycus patrolled the northern side of the castle, his sister watched the south side. 

They began executing  _ servats _ in the middle of November. It was a simple in-and-out scheme that worked each time. They had yet to be caught, and nearly everyone had let their fear of the Carrows slip their minds. Helping their younger peers was what mattered most. 

Groups of five were assigned to smuggle the children out of the dungeons. Two served as lookouts, two actually went into the dungeons to free everyone, and the last person held the portrait of the Fat Lady open—they feared she would scream if they kept waking her every night. 

This system worked... for the most part. There had been several close calls. For instance, one included the younger years causing too much of a ruckus, causing Ginny and Luna to work even quicker to unchain them. They escaped just before she turned the corner, and she was furious. She screamed, kicked, and used the Diffindo spell on the wall. Her brother came down and was as equally enraged. The redder their faces grew, the harder Ginny and Luna tried to contain their laughter. 

Being caught felt like another day's problem. Each servat was more thrilling than the last, for the Carrows were starting to change their routes in an attempt to catch them setting the students in detention free. 

Another two weeks passed before they made any progress. They caught a glimpse of Ginny's flaming hair, but it was too dark to be sure of the color. By the time they reached the corner she had turned, Ginny had disappeared up the stairs, placing each step methodically so the Carrows would have no reason to follow her up the stairs.

Luna grew worried and confronted her about how she began taking bigger risks every time they were out. She was reluctant to do so, but she chose her wording carefully because she feared Ginny would become angry. Instead, she thanked Luna for noticing and went upstairs to lie down. 

Someone had noticed, Ginny thought to herself as she slumped onto her bed. Luna noticed. On the verge of tears, Ginny sat upright and busied herself by organizing her things. She enjoyed the danger because Harry was missing. She enjoyed the danger because her great love was nowhere to be found. She enjoyed the danger because he was the best thing that happened to her. 

When she failed to get Harry out of her mind, tears streamed down her face.  _ What if the Death Eaters have him? No, they would have killed him. But what if they killed him and didn't break the news to us? No, Vol— He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would've boasted the moment Harry was dead. The thought of Harry dead was something she couldn't bear. _

She buried her face into her pillow and sobbed quietly. If the common room heard her, they were bound to ask questions she wasn't ready to answer. 

As she wiped the last tear from her face, she finished organizing her things. Tidying up didn't make much of a difference, but it was a way to comfort her. Ginny thought back to when she helped her mother clean the Burrow all year while the boys were at Hogwarts. She smiled and stayed in bed, drifting off thinking about how simple her life was before school.

\----

Neville, Luna, Seamus, and Michael Corner waited in the Gryffindor common room for Ginny. She didn't go down to dinner that evening, and no one could find her anywhere. 

"I'm sure she'll be here. She never misses a  _ servat _ ," Luna said.

"I don't have a good feeling about this," Neville said. He looked as though all the blood had drained from his face and was a sickly green color. "Maybe we should just skip tonight."

Seamus looked like he'd been slapped. "Neville! We can't leave 'em! Elias is one of the firs'-years there tonight! Alecto gave 'im bloody detention fer asking what day it was!"

Neville was torn. It was only when Luna broke in and said, "Hey, we can leave with four. If Ginny shows up, that's great." He looked up into her silver-colored eyes and felt a surge of comfort. He desperately hoped she was right. 

"Okay, let's head off then. We've got a short window and can't wait any longer. Luna, do you want to stay here to hold the portrait open?" 

"I'd be delighted," she replied sweetly and opened for everyone to climb through. They silently crept through the sleeping castle and made it to the dungeon entrance.

"We can only afford one person to go in and free them. We still need both lookouts, or it'll be too risky. Who's going?" Neville asked. 

Before Seamus opened his mouth to volunteer, Michael Corner said, "I will. If you can't warn me in time, leave me." 

Neville and Seamus both whisper-yelled, "What?" They stared at Michael wide-eyed. 

"We aren't leavin', mate. We're goin' down with ye," Seamus said, but Michael shook his head. 

"Trust me, I'll be alright," he said calmly and ran into the dungeon. Neville and Seamus looked at each other, the chains rattling off one of the first-years. They walked away from one another in the direction of their lookout posts. 

Neville heard light footsteps as one of the first-years ran towards the Ravenclaw tower. Neville stood at the corner, waiting for Alecto to appear. 

It felt like ages before he heard the next set of footsteps. He turned to see Elias Michaels running towards the Gryffindor side of the castle. He checked around the corner and saw no one, so he ran to see what took so long to free Elias. 

Before Neville reached the dungeon, however, he heard footsteps heading his way. He drew his wand and waited anxiously as the steps grew closer. 

Neville lowered his wand when blazing red hair came around the corner. Ginny looked exhausted, but she was running faster than he'd ever seen.

"Ginny?" Neville attempted to ask in a whisper. "How'd you know we were still here?" 

She abruptly stopped and snuck over to him. "Luna told me you hadn't come back yet. She's still up at the portrait," she murmured to him. 

"Well, we agreed on only one going in, and there's only one first-year left. I'd go back because we're almost done."

"No, I'll go help. Luna also said it took him a while to get Elias out." She began running towards the entrance, but footsteps sounded from around the corner. Both of them froze, and Neville poked his head around; Alecto Carrow was marching down the corridor towards them.

He sprinted to the dungeon's entrance and frantically yelled, "Michael, hurry up! What's taking so long?" Then, he saw Michael almost done with the shackles. "She's coming! We can't stay much longer!"

"Go without me. I'll be alright!"

Neville began to step towards the doorway when Alecto Carrow shouted, " _ Bloody kids! _ There's no way out now!" Her footsteps became much closer and heavier. Panicked, Neville grabbed Ginny's hand and dragged her to the stairs. 

"We can't leave them! The torture will be excruciating, come on! Neville Longbottom, if you don't move right now, I swear—" Alecto cut her off as she turned the corner. 

Just then, Michael and the first-year cam sprinting out to Gryffindor Tower. Alecto reached for her wand and yelled, " _ Stupefy! _ " Michael fell to the ground, stunned and unable to move. 

Ginny tried running to help him, but Neville dragged her up the stairs. Alecto tried to stun the first-year, but she was too quick and made it behind the wall's safety. 

The three of them skipped every other stair as they dashed up to the Fat Lady. They heard Luna urging them to hurry, but a hand yanked Ginny backwards. It felt dislocated, and she knew it would be bruised by morning. 

"Not so fast, Ms Wealey," Snape said monotonously. "Mr Longbottom, don't make me stun you."

Neville came to a halt and nodded at Luna to close the portrait. With reluctance, she let the Fat Lady face the stairs again. 

"Ah! Who held me open for so long? I'd like to have a word with them." When she saw Snape grasping Ginny's shirt, she fell silent and pretended to sleep. 

"Come with me," he said; his anger was barely contained. He grabbed Neville's collar just like he did Ginny's, and they speed-walked to his office. They passed through Gargoyle Corridor and reached the moving staircase. 

"Lilium," he murmured, almost as though he didn't want the two to hear him. 

Reaching the headmaster's office, the first thing Ginny noticed was all the portraits overhead. She remembered Harry mentioning there were paintings of all the headmasters. Her eyes shifted to a glass cabinet that held vials of silvery strands. Then she saw it. Despite the dim lighting, the silver gleamed. The egg-sized rubies in its hilt glowed an alluring red—the sword of Godric Gryffindor.

"What was your reason for being out of bed after hours?" he asked, a bead of sweat dripped from the side of his face. 

"We— we were just going up to our common room, sir," Neville said firmly. His eyes met Snape's, ad neither one broke eye contact. Staring at each other, Snape directed his next question to Ginny.

"Ms Weasley, maybe you can enlighten me. Where were you coming from? What was your hurry?" His gaze moved to her, and she clenched her jaw, attempting to look confident. 

"We were just hungry, Professor. Neville can get a bit peckish some nights." She didn't look away, hoping Snape would let them off, even if he didn't believe them. 

"I have caught you out of bed after hours, and neither one of you cares to explain. Perhaps I should have you sort out records." He paused, and his lips curved slightly upward. "Then again, why not hand you off to the Carrows. They'd be glad to have you with them."

Neville and Ginny glanced at each other but immediately turned back to Snape. He looked intrigued. "No, then? Not the Carrows?" Both carefully shook their heads. "Fine. Since I have no concrete evidence you were not in the kitchens, you will serve detention with Filch. Sorting records it is... this time." 

Neville began to grin but caught himself and looked down to hide it. Ginny's eyes drifted back to the sword stored in a glass cabinet on the wall. Snape followed her gaze. 

"Admiring the Gryffindor sword, are you?" She looked back at him and quickly shook her head. "Isn't it  _ intriguing _ ? It's  _ fascinating _ , wouldn't you say, Ms Weasley?" he asked dryly. When there was no response, he said, "Off to bed, both of you. Don't let me catch you out of bed again. Detention in Filch's office at eight. He'll be delighted to have you." And just like that, he shooed them out of the office and down the moving stairs. 

Ginny looked at Neville, but he motioned for her not to speak. She held her tongue but was eager to spill her idea. Walking back up to the tower, they heard a loud cry they assumed belonged to Michael Corner. 

Trying to block it out, Neville ushered Ginny inside, and they found Luna waiting for them.

Ginny ran to Luna, who was sleeping peacefully on the couch. She shook her awake and said, "I have an idea that could get us killed, but it's important." Neville looked at her with a worried expression. 

"Ginny, not after we just heard what the Carrows are doing to Michael. We can't risk the D.A. again. They'll be scared out of their minds when they see him tomorrow."

"No, just us! Please, hear me out, Neville." He took a second, but eventually, he nodded and sat with Luna. She looked between the two, hoping they would be empathetic and assist her. "I think we should steal the Sword of Gryffindor."


	18. Beaten Scared

Luna and Neville blankly stared at Ginny. Ginny continued to glance back and forth at her friends, but neither could project feedback on her idea. 

"Neville, didn't you see, in Snape—  _ Dumbledore's _ office? It was in that case by the desk!" Neville looked dumbfounded and opened his mouth to say something. He quickly shut it and scratched his head, unsure of what to do. 

"Gin, the sword's not important. What could we do with it? It's not like we'd ever get close enough to the Carrows to injure them. And if we do get away with it, Snape will know it's us. He saw you staring at it."

Ginny took a moment to let his words sink in. Snape would know, she thought.  _ Maybe we could brew a Sleeping Draught potion. He wouldn't know what hit him. That's it, _ she decided.

"We'll use the Confundus Charm on him. I promise he won't have a clue as to what's going on." Neville shook his head. 

"No, but he'll know after when he sees it's gone. Ginny, it's not a matter of how we'll take the sword; it's how we'll get away with it." Neville couldn't keep his cool. Ginny had forgotten to meet them to break the first-years out, Michael Corner was currently being tortured, and now she decides it's a good plan to steal a sword from the headmaster's office. 

Luna abruptly interrupted. "Hey, why do you want to steal it? Is there any purpose to it or...?" her voice trailed off. Ginny's face contorted into an agitated expression. 

" _ Can't you guys trust me for once? Obviously, it's bloody important, or I wouldn't be asking while Michael just got caught and is being tortured! _ " she exploded, her ears became redder with every breath. 

Neville and Luna looked astonished. They were at a loss for words. Ginny had never yelled at anyone like this before. Luna tried reaching for Ginny's arm, but she stalked away and up the stairs before she got the chance. 

Neville sat down, puzzled because Ginny had been acting strangely for the last week or two. Luna saw the bewildered look on his face and explained that she noticed how distant and moody Ginny was. Neville looked down at his feet and couldn't think of how to help for the first time in months. 

"Maybe we should all sleep on it. I think it'd be best since it's already gotten heated." Luna nodded and began heading to the portrait hole. "Wait, Luna! I think it's too dangerous. Maybe you should stay here for the night. With the Carrows out, it's really not safe. Come stay in Seamus' and my room." 

"Neville, I don't think I should. Honestly, I'll be alright." She turned away, but Neville grabbed her hand. 

"Please, Luna, don't!" he begged her. "Please..." 

She took a moment to decide. Finally, after minutes of silence, she quietly said, "Okay," and allowed him to navigate her up the stairs to his dormitory. Seamus was snoring softly, facing away from them. As the door creaked shut, he shifted but didn't wake. 

"How about you take that bed right there?" Neville asked, pointing to the bed across from Seamus. "It'll be easier to slip out unnoticed in the morning." Luna nodded and untucked the sheets. She pulled the covers over her and was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. 

Neville, on the other hand, was unable to sleep. He thought of Michael Corner, who was likely still being tortured, and he couldn't stop thinking about why Ginny got so angry with them. He stared at the ceiling for hours before he began drifting off. The sun was already rising by then, and he was half-asleep when he heard Luna sneak out the door. 

\----

Luna awoke at dawn to an enchanting sunrise. The yellow from the sun mixed with peach and purple, creating a scene that Muggles would describe as "fairy-tale-like." She tip-toed her way over to the door and cringed as it squeaked open. Luckily, no one heard, and she left unseen. 

It was a short walk to her common room. As she passed Amycus Carrow's classroom, she saw an unconscious Michael Corner, every inch of his skin was bloodied and bruised. She checked the room and saw Amycus had left, so she ran beside him and woke him. 

"Michael, hey. Michael." She gently shook him, fearing she would worsen his injuries. "Come on; we've got to get you to Madam Pomfrey!"

Michael groaned but did not open his eyes. Instead, he moaned incoherently and fell limp again. Luna was unsure of what to do, so she ran to the Ravenclaw Tower and answered the eagle knocker's riddle correctly. She found Padma Patil sitting on the couch, finishing up homework. Frantically, she explained what had happened, and Padma raced to the Dark Arts classroom with her. 

Together, they lifted Michael, who limped to the hospital wing, his arms around the girls' shoulders for support. It was a long journey, but they made it just as breakfast began. 

"Madam Pomfrey!" shouted Padma. "Please, we need your help.  _ Quickly! _ " The healer raced out of her office and hurriedly gathered a few tools. 

"Bring him over here!" She patted the bed closest to the door. "What's happened, my dears? Was it  _ the Carrows? _ " she whispered. Padma looked at Luna, and she nodded without hesitation. "Oh my, I knew they were capable of— of horrible things, but none such as this!" 

She poured a liquid and poured it into a cup. Then, she slowly helped Michael sit up and pressed the cup to his lips. He took a sip and murmured another incoherent message. 

"He's too swollen to talk," Madam Pomfrey said to Luna and Padma. "My dear boy, please, just try to rest. I'll heal your wounds in no time!" She gently placed her hand on his back, attempting to comfort him. "You have what appears to be a broken rib, wrist, and ankle. You also have horrible swelling in the face, and there are cuts everywhere! I can only  _ imagine _ the horrors you went through." 

She turned to the girls. "Good thing you found him before they returned. I fear he wouldn't be able to take much more if they had." She began tending to his wounds. "You two may as well be off to breakfast. I presume it's..." she checked the clock, "happening right now." She turned back to the bed and dabbed at a few cuts with a rag. 

"Come on, Luna. She's right," Padma said. Luna nodded, and Padma escorted her out. 

Luna had never seen someone wounded so severely. She rushed to tell Ginny and Neville, but they were sitting on opposite ends of the table when she made it to the Great Hall. Neville was closer to the door, so she went to sit with him. 

Dark circles were underneath his tired eyes. He looked like he was fighting to stay awake. Luna wondered if he had even slept last night.

"Why are you and Ginny not sitting together?" she questioned Neville. "I've got important news on Michael Corner." 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ginny glance at them. Luna waved her over, but Ginny did not come. "I'm going to get her," she said to Neville as she stood. "I'll be right back."

She walked over to Ginny, who was playing with her food. She, too, looked like she hadn't slept the night before. She tapped Ginny on the shoulder, but she did not turn to face Luna.

"Hey, I've got something important to tell you and Neville, but I'd prefer to tell you together. could you come and sit with us?" Ginny looked up but still did not turn in Luna's direction. "Please. I've thought about what you said last night, and I want to help. If it means that much to you, then it's something I want to take part in." This piqued her interest, and she turned around.

Her puffy red eyes told Luna she had been crying for quite some time. "Alright. I'll come sit."

Luna smiled and led her to the spot Neville was at. Uncomfortably, Neville kept his eyes down at his food, avoiding any eye contact with Ginny. Luna noticed but kept quiet. 

She explained how she found Michael and that he was now in Madam Pomfrey's care. They gasped as she described his wounds to them. 

"It looked like he had been slashed hundreds of times, and that's on the skin the I could see. His face was swollen so badly that he couldn't open his eyes nor talk coherently." Neville cringed hearing this. He felt like it was all his fault that Michael had been caught. He shouldn't have let him volunteer to go inside. "...and she also said he probably had a broken rib or two." 

Luna finished and had a sour look on her face. Ginny was speechless, and Neville thought he was going to be sick. "I'm glad you found him, at least," was all he could manage at the moment. 

He pushed his plate of food away; his appetite suddenly disappeared. Ginny decided bringing up her idea about the sword would likely upset them more, so she waited. It was the weekend, and there would be enough chances to mention it to them then. 

She grabbed a roll from her pocket and took a small bite. The Hogsmeade trip was that day, and chocolate was what they needed to cheer them up.  _ What could go wrong? _ she thought to herself. She took another bite, and the three were talking again as though no argument ever occurred. 


	19. Hogsmeade Trouble

Few updates were given throughout the day about Michael Corner. It sounded painful, but Ginny thought he got lucky that Luna and Padma were there to help him to Madam Pomfrey.

After breakfast, the students went up to their common rooms. They had some free time before they set off for the village. She went to sit on the couch, but Neville pulled her aside, away from everyone so they wouldn't be heard.

"I've been talking with other members of the D.A.," he said in a low voice, "and I think we should discontinue our meetings. Everyone's scared out of their minds. With Michael Getting tortured, they're worried next time it'll be them." Ginny understood. She didn't expect anyone to want to sneak out again after hearing Michael's dreadful screams.

"Okay. Neville," she said, sounding hopeful, "Can we  _ please _ talk? About... you know."

Neville looked like he was about to say no, but instead, he responded, "At Hogsmeade. I've got to figure out how to tell everyone to meet at the Hog's Head." At that, he pushed past her and hurried up the stairs.

\----

The students gathered their sweaters, scarves, and gloves before leaving the castle. Flakes of snow powdered the icy ground, but the snowfall could not conceal how cold and bitter it felt outside.

Ginny met Luna out in the courtyard of the castle. Her fiery hair was covered in snowflakes by the time Luna appeared at the entrance. She walked over to Ginny and smiled.

"Lovely, isn't it? When it snows, the world goes quiet. It's calming; even if it's only a second, everyone deserves to have a little bit of peace." Ginny thought Luna's statement was wiser than usual. All she could manage was a smile, though, as the Gryffindor Sword was the only thing she could think about.

As they neared Hogsmeade, Luna students began to scatter into the shops. Some entered Gladrags Wizardwear (probably for warmer clothing items); others went to Honeydukes for sweets. The last few headed to Zonko's Joke Shop, and Ginny and Luna, plus a few other D.A. members, were the only ones left outside. They headed to the Hog's Head to meet with Neville.

"I bet no one wants to pull any more stunts after Michael Corner," Ginny said glumly. Luna just looked down at the snow-covered ground and continued walking.

As they reached the Hog's Head, Ginny held the door open for Luna and Zacharias Smith. Neville was standing at the counter, talking to a man with stringy grey hair. He had brilliant blue eyes hidden behind his mucky spectacles. Both Ginny and Luna noticed how closely the man resembled Dumbledore.

"...Aberforth, please?" they heard Neville beseeching. "Can we use this place? The Carrows won't think to come here. It's just for today, I promise." After a moment, the bartender nodded and turned away to grab more glasses. Ginny pulled Luna aside to the table nearest to the door.

"Luna, he's—" she began, but Luna cut her off.

"Dumbledore, I know!" she interrupted, loud enough for the man called Aberforth to hear her.

"Indeed I am," he called out to them, not looking up from filling the mugs with butterbeer.

Neville walked over to them, three butterbeers in hand. "So, I guess you know that's Aberforth." Ginny furrowed her brow, but Luna looked unsurprised. "Erm,  _ Dumbledore's _ brother," he whispered, turning around to see if Aberforth had heard.

"I— Luna, why aren't you surprised?" she asked, bewildered.

"I read about him in Rita Skeeter's book. Ya know?  _ The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore _ . It's mostly lies, but I remember he was mentioned quite a few times. Didn't you read it?" Neville nodded, but Ginny shook her head.

"I can't stand to read any more from that horrible woman," she said, cringing. "She only wants a good story, even if it's hogwash." Luna and Neville nodded, understanding how she felt.

During the year with the Triwizard Tournament, Rita Skeeter wrote all sorts of nonsense that much of the wizarding world ate up. She even made up the lie about Hermione "breaking" Harry's heart by fancying Krum. It caused quite a havoc between the trio. No one could figure out how she got the more private stories, though.

As the last few members of the D.A. arrived, Neville could feel the uneasiness within the room. Trying to make his statement quickly so they could leave, he cleared his throat.

"Thanks for coming, everyone. I wanted to say I'm sorry. I can't ask you to put yourselves in more danger." Several heads nodded. It was settled. They had a tacit agreement that the D.A. was over. "I don't want to put you in more peril, so you can leave. I'm sorry, and I understand why you'd be angry with me."

"No, mate. We couldn' be angry with yer," Seamus responded but was unable to meet Neville's gaze. "It's no one's fault it happened."

After a few moments of silence, people began to get up to leave gradually; a few waved goodbye to Neville, Ginny, and Luna as they went. Soon, they were the only three left inside the pub minus Aberforth.

"That was the saddest meeting I've ever seen," the man uttered behind the counter. "Pft, actually, that was the most pathetic one yet." Neville looked agitated, but Luna was curious.

"Mr Dumbledore," she spoke softly, "I— I have a few questions. Do you mind?" She motioned to one of the seats at the bar. He scoffed, so she took it as a sign to sit. Ginny and Neville quickly joined her, taking an interest in Luna's questions.

"What do you want to know? Is it about that bloody Rita Skeeter's book? That woman,  _ always telling lies, I'll tell you— _ " his voice grew angrier with each word.

"Sir," Luna said as she put her hand on his shoulder in an attempt to appease him, "please. It's not really about her specifically. I'm just curious about which parts are true."

"I'm not gonna talk about Ariana if that's what your after," he said in a low voice. Luna immediately shook her head.

"No, sir, I just wanted to know who you are. That Rita woman really did write a few awful things about all of you, so I'm just curious."

"I only got a short while." He placed his elbows down in front of him and leaned over. "As you know, I'm Albus' brother. He was always the best at everything, and he knew it. Because I was his younger brother, I was left in his shadow. People expected me to be just as great as he was, but the truth was, I knew no one could match my brother. He was too powerful to outduel and was even better than Gellert Grindelwald." Aberforth continued on about what growing up living in his brother's shadow was like. He slipped up and mentioned Ariana's name, and a pained expression of sorrow spread on his face.

Luna noticed and quickly changed the subject. "Mr Dumbeldore, sir, what was your favorite tale growing up?"

This caught him off guard. He cracked a smile at her and said, " _ Grumble the Grubby Goat _ . What about you, Miss..."

"Lovegood," she replied, and he nodded. "Luna Lovegood. Mine is probably  _ The Tale of the Three Brothers _ . Daddy always liked that one, too. He read it to me before bed every night when I was little." 

"Ah, that one was my brother's favorite. He never stopped believing in all three, even up to his death, I think." He grew visibly uncomfortable and said, "Perhaps you should go. Wouldn't want to be late, not with the Carrows as Head Deputies now."

The three got up and gathered their coats, hats, gloves, and scarves. They thanked Aberforth, and he told them that they were welcome back, but with fewer questions. Ginny opened the door, and a gust of icy wind hit their faces.

"Let's run to the three broomsticks," she said. "I bet there'll be a ton of people there so we can talk without being overheard." She began sprinting towards the inn and disappeared into the building, slamming the door shut behind her.

Neville and Luna rushed after her, but Neville slipped on a patch of ice and fell backward. He hit his head hard enough to see stars. Luna ran back to help him up. He grabbed the back of his head, and she rushed him to the door so she could take a look at this head.

When they made it inside, Ginny was ordering drinks. They spotted one empty table and dashed to it before it was taken. Once seated, Luna told Neville to turn away from her so she could tend to his head.

"It only feels like a large bump. Nothing too serious," she said as Neville swiveled back around to face her.

"Thanks," he said stiffly, a hand still pressed to the bump. A heavy thud sounded as Ginny set the drinks on the table.

"I got us all more butterbeers. I'll get you something else if you don't want it," she said. She anxiously fidgeted with her hands. "Neville, what happened? Why're you holding your head?"

"Just slipped is all. I'm alright, really. And thanks, butterbeer is fine,  _ great _ actually." He took a sip of his steaming drink and warmed up instantly. "Luna, good work on getting Aberforth to like us," he said after no one spoke.

"What did you want from him earlier, anyways?" Ginny asked. "He's just Dumbledore's brother. Does he have something that could help us?" She was anxious to mention the sword again, but after their visit with Aberforth, she held her tongue about it.

"I think he could help us in the future. I'm not sure with what, but I've got this strong feeling that we need him. So I was trying to get him to warm up to me a little, but he clearly enjoys Luna's company." The comment made Luna blush, and she sipped her butterbeer.

"Right..." Ginny said, unsure whether she should trust Neville's gut feeling. "Moving on, we need to talk about the sword." Neither of her friends spoke. Agitation filled her because she wasn't used to feeling so uneasy. She was worried if Neville got upset again, they wouldn't get the sword in time before the Christmas holidays.

"Yeah, why's it so important to you?" Neville asked with a hint of exasperation in his tone. "Snape won't do anything with it. We don't need it for anything now that the D.A. won't be meeting again."

"It's Harry," she said quickly, but before she could finish, Draco Malfoy bumped into her, spilling steaming butterbeer into her lap, burning her skin.

_ All I wanted to do was get Neville's and Luna's approval to take the sword _ , she thought to herself.  _ Merlin, why is that so hard? I just need two minutes! _

Her ears grew red from anger. She looked around for something to wipe her lap, hoping she wouldn't lose her cool.

Before spotting napkins, she realized there were several butterbeers around her. She snatched Luna's butterbeer out of her hands. It was mostly full, still. Malfoy was taller than her, but that didn't stop her from splashing it in his face.

He yelled as the hot liquid met with his skin. He grabbed his face and screamed, creating a fuss that drew loads of unwanted attention their way. Realizing how many people were staring, Ginny slammed the cup on the table and quickly sat.

" _ What the bloody hell was that for? _ " Malfoy shouted at her. Before he could draw his wand, Professor Flitwick came to see what the disturbance was.

"Children, what's happened?" he asked alarmed.

"She's gone bloody mad! That's what's happened," Malfoy snarled. His expression was a mixture of anger and humiliation. His face grew sticky, and his platinum blonde hair turned to a light brown. He was drenched in butterbeer from head to toe by the time he was handed a towel. "The headmaster  _ will _ hear about this!" he said harshly and stormed off, grabbing Crabbe and Goyle as he went.

Professor Flitwick was unsure of what to do, so he said, "Nothing to see here, folks. Sorry for the commotion!" He turned back to Ginny, his smile dropped."Are you crazy? With the Carrows and Snape around?" he whispered. "I'll try and get you out, but I'm not sure how much influence I have over Snape's punishment."

Ginny thanked him, and he swiftly turned and left the Three Broomsticks. Out the window, they watched him run towards the castle after Malfoy.

Slowly, Ginny turned back to the table. "Must be super important if you're fighting Malfoy over bumping into you," Neville lightly chuckled. His face softened, and her anxiety subsided. "A bit of an overreaction, wouldn't you say?" He was still smiling. 

"A bit," she said and giggled. Looking over, she saw Luna was suppressing a laugh. This made Ginny laugh, and soon, Neville joined in. They received a few looks from the hysterical laughter, but the moment soon ebbed, and the weight of reality fell back on their shoulders. 

Their smiles faded; Neville and Luna waited for Ginny to speak. Ginny looked down at her fidgeting fingers and back up at her friends.

"I overheard Rufus Scrimgeour say that Dumbledore left the sword to Harry in his will," she muttered, leaning over the table in case someone overheard.

No one spoke. The only noise was the chatter from the patrons around them. "Then why's it still in Dumbledore's office?" Luna asked.

"That's what I've been wondering myself. He said that it was a school heirloom or something and that it wasn't Dumbledore's to give away." Luna nodded, thinking of different reasons this could have happened, but Ginny subconsciously held her breath, waiting for Neville's response.

"Weird," he said as he absorbed the information. "I get why you want to take it, then. If it could help Harry, maybe you're right about stealing it." Ginny let the breath go, her heart still racing from the commotion moments ago. Relief washed over her now that Neville approved.

She couldn't stand the thought of her friends refusing to talk to her again. Not talking for the majority of breakfast was difficult enough. Knowing Neville, he could avoid her for weeks. It was something he had gotten good at in the last year.

Since the Carrows, his avoidance skills became quite impressive. He learned their schedules and knew exactly where they'd be at every moment of the day. Ginny couldn't imagine if he avoided her.

Taking another deep breath, she relaxed and told herself that her friends weren't going anywhere.

"We better start planning. Wouldn't want the Christmas holidays to come before we get the chance to take it," Luna said. "The sooner, the better, right?"


	20. All Eyes on Snape

The three spent the rest of their Hogsmeade trip inside the Three Broomsticks, discussing the sword and plotting the best way to steal it. Ginny wanted to walk in and grab it. She already knew the password and was eager to get it over with. Luna's idea was a more tactful approach; she wanted to keep an eye on Snape's movements for a day or two and then go in and grab the sword. Neville agreed with Luna's idea more. 

Flitwick had returned and marched towards their table. "Ms Weasley, please come with me," he said as he waved her over. "Professor Snape wants to see you." Ginny side-eyed her friends and gathered her coat and scarf. She gave them a nervous glance as she followed the small professor out of the inn. 

The sun was beginning to set, and darkness would soon fall over them.  _ They'll be leaving Hogsmeade soon,  _ she thought.  _ I might as well meet Luna and Neville back in the tower then. _

Ginny reluctantly went with Flitwick to Snape's office. She slowly trudged up to the castle. Flitwick even noticed her sluggish movement. He made an “I'm sorry” face at her and continued to lead her from Hogsmeade. 

She felt a blanket of warmth wrap around her as they entered the castle. She slowly took off her coat and began to unwrap her scarf when Snape stepped out from a hallway, blocking her path. 

"Come with me," he paused, leaving an uncomfortable silence, "Ms Weasley." She walked through the Gargoyle Corridor with him. He muttered, "Lilium."

The moving staircase took them up to the office, and she waited for instructions from Snape before doing anything. She tried to keep her eyes from drifting to the Sword of Gryffindor, but she caught herself staring quite a few times.

Refocusing, she shifted her weight. A voice from above startled her and said, "Just send her to the Carrows already!" Ginny realized the voice belonged to one of the paintings above Snape. "Come on. You've got  _ other _ matters to attend to." He glared at Ginny and rolled his eyes. 

" _ Quiet _ , Phineas," Snape said angrily, holding his fist in the air. Phineas shut up and sat back down in his painting. "I'll punish her how I see fit."His eyes shifted to Ginny. "Sit," he growled. She obeyed and took the seat across from his. 

He himself sat down and reached forwards. He grabbed the quill and ink sitting at the top of his desk. The room was uncomfortably quiet; the only audible sound was the quill scratching along the piece of parchment. 

She began fidgeting slightly, and Snape took notice. "Uncomfortable, are we?" She promptly shook her head, and his mouth almost curled into a smile. "It has come to my attention that you decided it was appropriate to throw butterbeer at Mr Malfoy this afternoon. Is that correct?"

Ginny looked up and swallowed the lump in her throat. It took her a minute, but she eventually replied, "Yes," as directly as she could. She hoped her voice didn't waver or sound frightened.

"Well, you'll have detention..." he began, and her heart beat faster. The Cruciatus Curse would be painful, but she could handle it. The last time the Carrows had used it on her was in October—she threw a piece of garlic bread that was stowed in her pocket at Alecto's head for calling her family blood traitors. She grimaced at the memory. "...with Filch. Wednesday night at eight o'clock in his office." Her head jerked upwards, and he was still writing. "You will also be banned from  _ all _ future Hogsmeade visits. If I catch you, then you will serve detention with the Carrows next time. Is that clear?" She nodded and waited for her cue to leave. "Get. Out." 

She instantly stood from her seat and went to find Neville and Luna. The castle was quiet as she walked back to the tower, and the paintings were preparing to sleep. A few voices sounded from the end of the corridor. 

Ginny made her way up the moving staircases, taking a few detours to make it up to the Fat Lady. It took nearly fifteen minutes to reach Gryffindor Tower because the stairs continuously changed on her. 

"Mistletoe," she said firmly to the portrait. The Fat Lady smiled and gladly opened, giggling as Ginny entered. 

Neville was alone by the fireplace. His toad, Trevor, hopped around the room, being a nuisance to a few fifth-years in the corner. 

"Where's Luna?" she asked, sitting beside him. 

"The Carrows were watching us too closely. I couldn't sneak her up tonight," he explained. "I'll try again tomorrow, but they've started following us. I think we'll have to stop inviting her to the common room." Ginny nodded and waited to see if Neville had anything more to say.

When he stayed quiet, she said, "I'm not getting tortured by the Carrows, yet. Snape decided to send me to detention with Filch."

"What?" Neville looked up, surprised. "How'd you get off so easy?" She shrugged. Her sad face glowed in the firelight. 

Neville and Ginny hadn't moved from the couch until Professor McGonagall walked through the portrait. They both turned to find her in emerald-green robes with a pointed hat in her hands. 

"What are you two doing up so late?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Conspiring?" She smiled after whispering this last word and gave them a wink. "Just remember to get some rest."

Ginny managed a convincing fake smile and nodded at her. When McGonagall was gone, Ginny stood and headed for the stairs.

"We'll talk about our plan tomorrow?" she asked Neville. His gaze didn't leave the hearth. A bitter cold caught up with her with each step up the stairs. She shook it off and continued ascending to her room.

\----

Luna found Neville and Ginny at their usual spot during breakfast the next morning. She sat down and asked Ginny for a piece of garlic bread from the previous night. 

"Watching Snape,  _ just _ how I want to spend my Sundays," Ginny said sarcastically. Neville smiled encouragingly at her, but she blankly stared at him. "I still don't see what's wrong with spontaneously breaking in and getting out quickly."

"Well, you've been a little too spontaneous lately," Neville said. "Did I hear correctly that you got yourself banned from Hogsmeade for the Malfoy incident?" Ginny didn't meet his stare, telling Neville he was right. "Let's lay low for a week or so, and then we'll try, okay? I don't want him turning you into the Carrows. We  _ can't _ have another Michael Corner incident. Speaking of Michael, Luna, how is he?"

"Oh, he's doing alright. Madam Pomfrey just released him this morning. He won't be in classes until Tuesday, though," she told them. "What'd I miss?"

"Ginny here wants to—what'd you say—'spontaneously break in and get out?'" he said, mocking her. 

"Shove off!" she said, playfully nudging Neville. "No, I just think that we shouldn't wait so long. When I go home for the holidays, I can give Remus the sword to take to Harry." 

"That makes sense," Luna said. "Why don't we follow him for a couple of days and then grab it? Like, two days would be enough, I think."

"Fine," Ginny groaned. "I'm holding it against you if we don't get it, though." They all laughed and finished their leftovers from the previous night. 

"Okay, let's meet up around lunchtime. It's not like we're eating the food anyways. We'll sneak off to find Snape." Ginny waited for their nods. "Good. Meet in the Gargoyle Corridor ten minutes before lunch." 

They split up to avoid suspicion. Luna went to talk with Michael Corner, Ginny went to planning in her dorm, and Neville went to talk with Seamus.

"Seamus," he whispered as he made his way towards him in the common room. "Can I trust you with something?"

"'Course, Nev. Anything you need." Seamus looked eager to help. 

"Okay, I'm confiding in you." He paused to see if anyone was listening. "We're going to steal the Sword of Gryffindor in a couple of days. I was hoping you could try to distract Snape for us."

"Where should I distract 'im? Great Hall?"

"That'd be great! We're doing it on Monday. I'll give you more details later." After answering a few of Seamus' questions, he went to his dormitory to do schoolwork. 

\----

Lunchtime arrived quicker than expected, and Ginny headed to the Gargoyle Corridor. She hid in a small corner where Snape wouldn't see her if he left his office. It was large enough to hide behind if you squeezed into the corner. 

Shortly after she got there, Luna and Neville appeared together. She stepped out from behind the shadows and waved them over.

"He hasn't come out of the office yet," Ginny told them. "I've come up with a plan. So, we watch Snape for the rest of today and tomorrow evening. Then, we'll go in on Tuesday during dinner and steal it."

Neville took a moment to grasp what she had said. "Great! I've asked Seamus to distract Snape if he doesn't go away from his office long."

"You  _ what _ ?" Luna and Ginny said at the same time. 

"You're sure Seamus won't tell while he 'watches' Snape?" Luna asked him. 

"Positive. I trust him with my life." That settled it. Neither of the girls mentioned Seamus again.

Snape left his office the minute the Great Hall filled with voices that echoed through the corridor. His cloak trailed behind him, dragging on the castle's stone floors. 

He stepped out and examined his surroundings sceptically. The three turned the backs to the wall, pressing themselves as hard as they could against each other, hoping they wouldn't be seen around the corner. 

Snape strode straight ahead; the trio were the only people not at dinner. 

"C'mon, we're following him." Before they had time to react, Ginny sneakily darted after the headmaster. 

Luna shrugged to a nervously sweating-Neville. She bolted after Ginny, and Neville shortly followed. 

They found Ginny peering around the Great Hall entrance. When they finally caught up with her, she told them, "He's just sitting at the table. This'll be a long two hours if he doesn't leave soon." 

Just like he had heard her, Snape stood and threw his cloak around himself. Then he left out the door in the front corner, nearest of the teachers. They sprinted away to follow him. He speed-walked to the moving staircase, frequently checking behind him. 

Determined to stay hidden, Ginny roughly pulled her friends aside every time she thought Snape was going to turn around. 

" _ Ouch _ ," Neville murmured as she threw him against a wall. Snape turned instantly, and Ginny slapped her hands over Neville and Luna's mouths. He began walking to the spot where the three stood, but a voice sounded from the end of the corridor.

"Severus, come. We need to discuss something." It was Amycus Carrow. Neville and Ginny couldn't forget the voice of who had been torturing them for months. 

The greasy-haired man scanned the end of the hall one last time before turning to Amycus. Ginny looked around the wall and saw them disappear up the stairs. 

"Okay, he's gone," Luna's muffled voice said. Ginny realized she hadn't removed her hands and quickly did so. 

"Sorry," she muttered. "Let's go eat. I have a feeling they won't be coming out for much longer. Did either of you catch how long he was gone for?" They shook their heads. "We'll keep track tomorrow then. C'mon." 

They retraced their steps back to the Great Hall and entered. They slipped into the empty seats near Seamus.

"When am I helping?" he whispered over to Neville.

"Tuesday evening, try and distract him as he's leaving the Great Hall. He goes out that door over there." Neville subtly pointed to his left at the door Snape had exited through. 

"Alright, I won't let you down." Neville patted him on the back and faked the best smile he could. 

"Thanks," he said and turned back to Ginny and Luna. The rest of dinner slowly passed, and they grudgingly headed to their dormitories. They waved goodnight to Luna and entered Gryffindor Tower. 

"Ready to torment the Carrows in classes tomorrow?" Ginny asked to lighten the mood. 

Neville laughed. "Definitely."


	21. The Gryffindor Sword

Ginny sat in the corner and waited for Neville's signal. His eyes darted back-and-forth from the Gargoyle Corridor and Luna at the Great Hall entrance. 

The day before, they spied on Snape throughout the evening after their classes. He followed the same schedule as Sunday, excluding a meeting with Amycus Carrow. 

He seemed to eat in a short amount of time before returning to his office. It was almost like he couldn't stay out of his office for long. Ginny suspected he was hiding something, and she suggested they find out what when they grab the sword. Neville found this idea preposterous and told her absolutely not. The two fought for almost half an hour over it before Luna broke the fight up. 

Luna thought they wouldn't be ready to grab the sword after only two days of scouting out Snape, but then Neville convinced her nothing would happen, and she didn't have to help if she didn't want to. 

Eventually, she agreed to continue helping, but only if she could be the lookout. The plan was settled. Luna would stand outside Snape's office, Seamus would distract Snape, and Neville and Ginny would swiftly run in and get out with the sword before anyone noticed. 

She saw Neville's signal; he was sprinting down the corridor. "Lily," she said, and the moving staircase appeared. Neville made it up the stairs just before they disappeared. 

"Brilliant," he said, taking heaving breaths. "Now, let's grab the sword and leave." Ginny nodded, and they opened the door to the office. 

The paintings on the wall stirred, and she heard the same voice that told Snape to turn her over to the Carrows. "What the devil are you children doing in Headmaster Snape's office?" The wizard had black hair, thin eyebrows, and a pointed beard. Ginny would call him clever-looking if he weren't so rude. 

"None of your business," she snapped back. The wizard looked taken aback. As she headed toward the glass case with the Gryffindor Sword, he cleared his throat.

"My  _ apologies _ , my dear," he said sarcastically, "I'm Phineas Nigellus Black. And you two are?"

Ginny continued attempting to break the sword out of its case, so Phineas turned to Neville. 

"Erm, I'm Neville, this is, er, Ginny. If you'll excuse me, I've got to help." He turned away and tried to open the glass. It wouldn't budge. "Hey, Gin, stand back." She took about five steps back when Neville motioned for her to move back more.

" _ Diffindo _ ," he firmly said. The glass shattered, and Ginny lunged for the sword. 

Once the hilt was in her grasp, she reached for her wand and said, " _ Reparo _ ." Glass shards flew through the air. The cabinet repaired itself, and Ginny and Neville turned to the door. 

As they headed out, Phineas Nigellus said, "Better hurry. I've heard he's almost returned." He laughed malevolently. His laughter faded the further they went from the room. 

The moving staircase appeared as though it sensed their presence, and they began to run down the steps hurriedly. They were almost at the bottom when Ginny bumped hard into a black-cloaked man. 

"Not. So. Fast." It was Snape. He held Luna and Seamus by the collars of their shirts. "Come with me." He pushed past them and made his way up the stairs. Ginny slowly tried to step down the stairs. Without turning around, Snape said, "Don't think about it Ms Weasley." At that comment, Ginny silently followed.

When they reached the top of the stairs, Snape let Luna's and Seamus' collars go. The moving stairs disappeared behind them, so they had no choice but to continue following him. 

As they re-entered the room, Phineas Nigellus looked pleased. "Ah, Snape. I see you've found the thieves. I would've told you myself if they had gotten away with it." 

Snape looked at Phineas and nodded. "Thank you, Phineas. I will take it from here." He glared at the four and motioned for them to sit. There were only three seats, so Neville stood, resting his arm on the chair's top. 

"Sir, I can explain—" Luna began, but Snape raised a hand. She fell silent, and they all waited to hear what he had to say. 

"What could  _ possibly _ be your reason for breaking into my office?" He spat as he said the last word. Droplets landed on Neville's cheek; he quickly wiped them away with the back of his hand. 

"Well—" Ginny began to explain, but Snape interrupted her.

"I didn't ask for  _ you _ to speak, Ms Weasley. Mr Finnigan. Care to explain?" He raised an eyebrow and looked pleased with himself. He had caught them and would now have the power to punish them however he liked. 

Seamus shook his head. Neville butted in before Snape spoke again. "Sir, why's Seamus here? He didn't do anything. He actually didn't know about the plan at all."

this piqued Snape's interest. "Well, you see, Mr Longbottom, Finnigan walked up to the professors' table and began to ask very unusual questions about potions. Professor Slughorn was right beside me, why didn't he go to him? I grew suspicious and left. He followed and continued to badger me with questions, so I dragged him with me and found Ms Lovegood waiting outside my office. Then I caught you two coming out of it with the Sword of Gryffindor. Any of this sound... familiar?" He smiled at the four. 

"That must've been a coincidence. I mean, Seamus and Luna had nothing to do with any of it. Honestly!" Neville continued to argue with Snape.

Snape's eyes grew furious, and he leaned over his desk, slamming his hands down for balance. He was deathly close to Neville's face. " _ Don't _ lie to me, Mr Longbottom." Neville didn't budge.

"I'm not, sir. I'm just telling you, Seamus had nothing to do with it." He caught himself the moment it slipped.

"Ah, so Ms Lovegood  _ did _ partake in your plan then? Mr Finnigan,  _ leave _ ." Seamus nodded and quickly exited the office, leaving the three of them alone. 

"Ms Weasley, speak." He impatiently tapped his foot on the floor. The sound reverberated throughout the room. Ginny gulped and began to speak fast and incoherently. " _ Louder _ and less nervous, Ms Weasley." Snape began to smile again.

"The Gryffindor Sword isn't meant to be here. It's not yours. It's meant to be Harry's; I overheard the Minister— er, former Minister tell Harry. I bet you had him killed so you didn't have to hand it over!" The accusation flew out of nowhere, but it made perfect sense to her. 

"Oh? Accusing when you've just been caught  _ stealing _ ? Interesting," he said acoustically. "I've heard enough. Detentions. For all of you. One week," he said looking down at his desk. "You will go with hagrid to the Forbidden Forest and help him. Starting Thursday night at 8. Ms Wealey, that is a courtesy seeing you have detention..." he checked the clock, "tonight.  _ Now leave. I don't want to see any of you step foot in this office again, or you'll be sent to the Carrows! _ "

They all left in a hurry, but Ginny could swear she heard a crying sound behind the door as they descended to the Gargoyle Corridor. She brushed it off as her mind playing tricks on her. They had just been caught trying to steal a school heirloom. 

Luna felt exhilarated but nervous at the same time. Neville was angry because they were so close to getting out, but Phineas Nigellus had slowed them. Ginny was disappointed because she had a gut feeling Harry needed the sword.

They went back to the common room to sit in their usual spot in front of the fireplace, but a group of first-years had taken it to do homework. Sighing, Ginny sat on the stairs and patted the one above her for one of her friends to join her.

"That's too bad," she said glumly. "We could try again, but I doubt he'll ever leave his office now." 

Neville gave her a weak smile and said, "Yeah, I s'pose your right." Luna giggled out of the blue, causing a laughing fit between the three.

Cackling on the stairs about nothing rarely happened, but Ginny loved it. She enjoyed every second of it before they quieted down. 

"I better head off to Filch's. I don't want to stay up too late until the holiday. See ya." she walked out of the portrait hole, leaving Neville and Luna together. 

Luna rested her head on Neville's shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around her. 

"Don't you just get... tired of it all?" he asked after a while.

"Of what?" she replied softly. 

"Everything. Fighting the Carrows. Wondering where Harry is. The pressure to protect the first-years." He unwrapped his arm from around her and gently grabbed one of her small hands in both of his much larger, calloused palms. 

She smiled and kissed him on the cheek. He looked up to see her delicate face staring at him. "Harry will come back and help defeat You-Know-Who. And we'll finally reach the end where it's all over, no 'Dark Lord' to fight or Carrows to mock. You know? Think... optimistic. That's all we can do for now." She gave him a reassuring smile and lay her head back on his shoulder. He relaxed and put his head over hers. 

"Yeah," he said quietly. "Think positive."


	22. Detention with Hagrid

Filch's office smelled like old parchment and musty. Ginny took the empty chair closest to the door. On the desk in front of her sat several large books that she guessed were the student records she had to sort. 

Filch walked in, glaring at her. "Good to see you've found your seat," he said in a scratchy voice. Mrs. Norris slowly trotted in after him. She looked much older than when Ginny had last seen her. Much more grey fur was visible on her backside, and she moved slower than Ginny remembered. 

"Am I just sorting, then?" she asked Filch. He nodded, shifted his eyes to the books on the desk, and then looked back at her. She took that as a sign to begin working, so she grabbed a book off the desk and flipped it open. 

It felt like days before Filch dismissed her from the office. By the time she returned to the common room, Neville and Luna were gone. She assumed they didn't want to risk Luna getting caught out of bed by the Carrows.

She headed upstairs to her room and flopped on her bed. She hadn't realized how exhausted she was until now. As she wrapped herself in the blankets, she drifted off, having several different dreams.

_ "Harry!" she screamed. "Harry, where are you? HARRY!" He was nowhere in sight. She stumbled through the castle.  _

_ Rubble scattered the stone floors, burned parchment littered the floor, and nearly everything around Ginny was on fire.  _

_ She ran through the doors ahead of her and turned right. She entered the room closest to her, but she was back where she started. Then a scream echoed through the crackling fire.  _

_ It belonged to Harry; she knew it. He sounded close but far away at the same time. How could she get to him?  _

_ His screams continued to ring through the ruins she stood in. The fire spread and trapped her inside a large ring of flames. The heat burned as it grew nearer and nearer until it felt like the Cruciatus Curse was being used on her.  _

_ She shrieked, and her eyes welled up with tears. As she lay immobile on the floor, Harry could be heard screaming for her.  _

_ "Ginny, I'm okay! I'm a bit bruised by I'm okay. Where are you? I'm coming, I promise! GINNY!" His voice began to grow closer and closer, but she was losing consciousness.  _

_ She attempted to answer his calls, but her voice was unrecognizable and raspy as she suffocated on the smoke. She tried again, but now she was barely loud enough to hear herself.  _

_ The world turned to a black void. _

\------

Ginny awoke with a start. Her bed was drenched in sweat. She sat up and realized her face was wet with a mix of tears and sweat. She spotted a towel hanging out of her trunk and hurriedly grabbed it to wipe her face. 

The sun hadn't risen past the horizon yet. The sky was pink with a golden glow where the sun was about to rise. Ginny threw on her robes for the day and grabbed her shoes. 

She marched out of the portrait hole and down the stairs. She passed through the courtyard as she went up a hill next to the castle. As she hiked, the sky grew lighter and more azure. When she reached the top of the hill, barely a quarter of the sun glowed. She sat on the soft, dewy grass and rested her back against a tree trunk. 

It was chilly enough to see her breath, but she didn't feel the slightest bit cold. 

She sighed and rested her head against the trunk. Whenever she couldn't sleep, she waited for the sun to rise while she sat on the hill. It was her thinking spot where there was no Carrows or Snape to punish her. She wouldn't have to worry about getting herself into trouble. Oftentimes, she went up on the hill to cry where no one would see. 

She used to love going to the Quidditch pitch, but the Carrows banned them from playing within the first three months of the term. Their broomsticks were taken from them and burned. They let Malfoy keep his, though, but only because he was one of them. 

She thought back to her nightmare about Harry and wasn't sure if she should take it as a sign. He told her, "I'm a bit bruised, but I'm okay" and "I'm coming, I promise."  _ Is he coming back? No, that was all in my head. But is he okay, like he said?  _ She couldn't help but wonder if it was a sign. 

Before Ginny could think about it further, a figure on the pitch below her caught her eye. Someone on a broom zoomed through the air. Malfoy, of course. She rolled her eyes and got to her feet. 

The journey back from the hill was less peaceful than the walk there. People bothered her on their way back from breakfast. She didn't feel like talking, so she brushed them off and rushed back to her dormitory. 

Before she could make it up the stairs, Neville pulled her aside and asked where she went. She lied, telling him she wasn't feeling well and came down too late to eat. He nodded, but she knew he could see through her lie. 

The day felt longer than usual. She had Muggle studies with Alecto Carrow and potions with Slughorn. Alecto just went on about the Muggles' measures against the wizarding world when they first discovered them. It was her same old speech about how dirty Muggles were. In potions, they practiced how to perfect the Muffling Draught. 

Malfoy was the most successful at making it, and Slughorn rewarded him with a vile of the Draught of Peace. He seemed very pleased with himself and gladly accepted the prize. 

Ginny did not go down to dinner. Instead, she laid in her bed. Harry was out there being chased by Voldemort, and she was expected to sit at Hogwarts and not help him. 

When it was time for detention with Hagrid, Ginny could barely keep her eyes open. When she met Neville in the common room, he didn't bother her with questions despite not seeing her all day. Luna joined them in the courtyard, and the three silently walked to Hagrid's hut. 

As they walked down the hill, Ginny told them about her dream. She asked for their opinions because she was still unsure whether it was a sign that Harry was alright. After some deliberation, Luna told them they shouldn't dwell on the dream, for it was bad for the soul. Neville agreed, but Ginny took more convincing to drop it.

"Come on!" she pleaded. "But what if it does mean something?" 

"Then we can't do anything about it," Neville said, not slowing to her pace. He sped ahead, leaving Luna and Ginny together in the dark. 

"Try to think about something else," Luna said as they neared the garden in front of the hut. "Maybe think about a happy memory or one that makes you laugh. I heard in our second year that you had the  _ biggest _ crush on Harry, but you refused to talk with him." Ginny laughed, and they joked until they caught up with Neville in front of the large home. 

Hagrid came out of the hut and led them to the Forbidden Forest, holding four lanterns in his gigantic hands. 

"One fer each of us," he said energetically. "We're goin' ter see Grawp ternigh'. 'is English got a lot better!" He continued on about Grawp as they made their way deeper into the forest. 

"Don't you think it's a little dangerous to bring students out here this late at night?" Ginny asked Hagrid. "Aren't the centaurs angry with you?" The answer she received was a grunt, and Hagrid did not speak for the rest of the trip. 

"Here 'e is!" Hagrid proudly presented his half-brother, who was sitting on a log too small to support him. Grawp was much larger than Ginny imagined. 

"HAGGER!" the giant exclaimed. "HAPPY TO SEE YOU." 

"Good ter see yer, too, Grawpy! This is, er, Neville, Luna, and Ginny." Hagrid pointed at the three as he introduced them. Grawp smiled and waved at them. They waved back, exciting the giant. 

"We're jus' comin' up ter say 'ello and practice yer English more." Grawp nodded, but his attention was now on a butterfly fluttering its wings in front of his face. 

The three watched with amazement as Hagrid had a small conversation with his half-brother. Although Grawp's vocabulary was limited, he could form sentences that were almost complete.

After half an hour passed, Hagrid suggested they head back because it was getting late, and the centaurs would likely be roaming the forest soon. 

"They've started watchin' the whole forest fer me! It's ridiculous. All I want'd ter do is take care of Grawpy!" he said, exasperated. Unsure of what to say, the three nodded and followed him out of the forest. 

Hagrid invited them in for tea when they made it back to his hut, and Neville accepted the offer on behalf of all three of them. 

The inside of the hut looked dusty and messy. It looked like he tidied up a little, but not enough to consider it clean. 

There was a tiny wooden table with two chairs across from one another. Neville and Luna sat, and Ginny took the bench that was right beside them. 

"How do yer like yer tea?" Hagrid asked cheerfully. "Personally, I like mine  _ hot _ hot, but I'm half-giant, so what do yer want?" They all looked at each other and shrugged. "Hot tea it is," he said and placed the kettle over the stove. 

"How've you been? So what've you been up to?" Luna asked in an attempt to fill the awkward silence.

"I've been alright, thank you very much, Luna! I've been helpin' Grawp with English, keepin' 'way from those centaurs, and stuff like that." 

Luna continued with their conversation for at least an hour. The tea tasted disgusting, but Ginny pretended to sip it anyway. Neville made a face as he lowered the cup from his lips. Luna, however, drank the whole cup. 

"Is there any tea left, Hagrid? This is amazing," she said warmly. 

Before he could respond, Ginny interrupted. "Hagrid, I don't think we should stay long. We've got to get back before the Carrows or Snape finds another excuse to give us detention," Ginny said. Hagrid met her gaze and sighed. 

"Yer prob'ly right. I just wanted ter tell yer about my surprise, but that can wait. Go on, lads, get back ter the castle. Yer'll find out soon enough, anyway." He shooed them out; Luna and Neville reluctantly left their seats, but Ginny immediately stood. 

The pair at the table were eyeing her warningly, and she shot them a look back. They stood, and Hagrid looked unhappy. 

"Don't worry, Hagrid. We'll come back soon…I just don't want to get tortured tonight." Hagrid waved her off, and they stepped outside into the crisp night air. 

They slowly made their way back to the castle. So many levels of steps were such a pain when it was dark. All three tripped at least three times each. 

"Neville, why did you agree to have tea with him again?" she asked, agitated after making it back to the castle. 

"Have you seen him lately? Lonely, depressed, tired. He needed the company," Neville said firmly. Ginny could tell he was passionate about making him feel better, so she dropped it. 

"I just realized!" Luna abruptly said. "We've got two more weeks before the Christmas holiday!"


	23. An Early Christmas Surprise

Detentions with Hagrid passed quicker than Neville thought they would. They joined him for tea only once more, and he seemed quite lonely. Luna loved to strike up conversations with him. They went on about different magical creatures, unique artifacts that they found fascinating, etc. It astounded Neville and Ginny that they had so much in common. 

The final week before the holidays was passing by in the blink of an eye. Muggle Studies was repetitive attempts to brainwash them, so Neville doodled on his parchment with his quill. Dark Arts classes weren't horrible, but only because they weren't attempting to curse the first-years. Potions with Slughorn were actually somewhat interesting. Of course, herbology was Neville's favorite. He always had questions for Professor Sprout, and he never failed an exam in the class. 

It was Wednesday, only two more days before the Hogwarts Express would carry them away from the hell that the castle turned into. 

"M'be 'e coul' 'ry o'e las' r'be'ious 'hing b'fore 'e 'ea'e t'nigh'," Neville told Luna and Ginny with his mouth stuffed with the most delicious Christmas pudding. The girls exchanged puzzled looks as Neville swallowed his dessert. 

"Come again?" Ginny asked.

"I said, maybe we could try one last rebellious thing before we leave tonight. We could make a statement before leaving. I feel sorry for the lads that have to stay here for the holidays."

"Yeah, but I don't wanna be tortured before Christmas. That's no fun," Ginny said, rolling her eyes. 

"I'm sure we can make a 'welcome back' statement when we come back," Luna joined in.

"They'll hate us!" Ginny laughed, and Luna and Neville joined in. It wouldn't hurt to have a laugh before parting ways for Christmas. 

"Okay, but in all seriousness," said Neville after the laughter died, "are we sure Death Eaters won't come knocking at our doors? I mean, three of 'em are running the school. What if they told the others, and now they're going to come after us?"

"Oh please," Ginny scoffed, and Neville was confounded. "They wouldn't have time for us! You think Vol— You-Know-Who has time for us? What, with his plot to rule the wizarding world and all?" This made Luna begin giggling again, but Neville wasn't convinced. 

"Gin, come on! I'm serious. What if—"

" _ IF! _ " Ginny cut him off. "We'll be alright, won't we, Luna?" she asked, nudging a giggly Luna beside her. 

"Fine." Neville clenched his jaw, agitated that the girls weren't taking their safety more seriously. It was their choice, but Neville knew he would feel responsible if something did happen. 

\----

Luna began packing her trunk with her things. She'd return, so all of her clothes could stay. The train was arriving soon, and she had forgotten to pack. She brought her radish earrings because those were her favorite. She also grabbed a salmon pink turtleneck and purple-pink dress that was washed in color. 

She heard Ginny calling for her in the common room, so she quickly threw the shirt and dress, grabbed her trunk, and ran down the tower. As she rounded the corner, she saw Ginny's red hair glowing in the firelight. 

"Hey, ready to go?" 

"Yep! I've got my trunk packed and ready," Luna said cheerfully. "I can't wait to see Daddy. He says he's got something special planned for us!"

"That's— that's great, Luna." Ginny couldn't help but think about her own family and Ron being gone with Harry and Hermione. "We should leave before we get left behind," she said quickly and headed for the door. Luna didn't take the hint that she was upset and gladly followed. 

When they set foot in the courtyard, snow-dusted the ground. Several footprints lead to the carriages. They followed the trail of prints and found Professor Flitwick instructing students to place their trunks on the back and climb up to the seats. 

"Ms Weasley and Ms Lovegood! Hop on up after you place your trunks here." He waved his hand towards the back. "I'm glad you two will be safe back home for the holidays," he whispered to Ginny as she set her trunk down. After nodding at him, she climbed up to sit with Luna. 

The carriage ride felt longer because the thestrals had to make their way through the snowy trees, plus the trail to the was hidden.

When they arrived at the station, they found Neville waiting for them. Both waved to catch his eye, and he pushed past all the students boarding the train. 

"Where've you been? I've been freezing, standing there for half an hour an' all!" Luna just patted him on the back and stepped inside the cozy train carriage. 

The air was snug, and she felt as the bitter cold left her. Ginny followed along with Neville soon after. There was an empty booth at the end of the cabin; it was the train's caboose. 

"Maybe the Death Eaters could find us easier if we're right by the exit," Ginny joked. Luna forced a laugh, but Neville didn't try to smile. Ginny took notice and fell quiet. 

As the Hogwarts Express pulled out of the station, chatter buzzed around the car, but the three of them didn't speak. An hour into the ride, Neville finally broke the silence. 

"Guys, I've got this... feeling. I'm not sure what it is, but I don't think it's good. I think something bad's gonna happen any minute."

"Neville, don't be ridiculous. We're heading home. It's safer there than a school run by Death Eaters," Ginny said under her breath. They usually never spoke negatively about the Carrows or Snape unless alone. 

"I'm serious, though. Luna, what do you think? Am I crazy?" Luna looked up from her upside-down edition of  _ The Quibbler _ . 

"Oh, we're all a bit crazy, aren't we?" She turned back to read the new edition. Neville rolled his eyes and groaned.

"You're a real pain sometimes, you know?" He didn't mean it in a harsh, rude manner. He meant it more as a "why won't you tell me" sort of way.

Before Ginny spoke, black clouds sailed past their windows. Neville knew exactly what was going on and drew his wand.

" _ What are you doing? _ " Ginny whispered as the conversations in the cabin faded. Neville didn't speak but merely put a finger to his lips, shushing her. Luna set the newspaper down and followed Neville's lead by pulling out her wand.

The train screeched to a stop. It was ages before two Death Eaters—the same who stopped their journey at the beginning of the term—stepped into the train carriage. Several cries rang out from other Gryffindors nearest to the men. 

Darkness filled the air, and she could no longer see. Ginny immediately realized they had used Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder, one of her brothers' Wizarding Wheezes. 

" _ Stupefy! _ " a voice shouted. A thud sounded from where Luna sat. Ginny felt her way around to the booth and checked on her. She was limp in the seat but still breathing.

Before Neville could attempt to curse either of them, a second voice yelled, " _ Petrificus Totalus! _ " Neville's arms snapped to his sides, and he was no longer able to move. He fell but bumped into Ginny as gravity pulled him further down. His head hit the ground much softer than he expected it to. 

Swiftly, the cloaked men moved in to grab Luna, but Ginny was still sitting by her side. 

She felt a hand on her shoulder and cried, " _ Flipendo! _ " A woosh of wind rushed past Ginny, so she assumed he cast a protection spell. She tried the spell again but began going on the defensive side when both Death Eaters began attacking her. 

She could only be so quick with her wand, and eventually, fatigue washed over her. Several of her housemates attempted to help her, but their spells were nowhere near where she and the two men stood. Before she could move to protect Luna from being hit with a curse, Ginny was hit with a stunning spell, sending her to the ground. 

The Peruvian Powder began to clear away, and light from the train slowly became visible again. Several of her friends, including Seamus, were against the train walls, stunned by their own attempts to help Luna and herself.

The Death Eaters stepped over Ginny's unmoving body that was sprawled on the ground. She couldn't move a muscle. She wasn't completely aware of what was going on, but she knew Luna was in trouble. Her eyes traveled up to the booth Luna sat at. One of the men held her in his arms and headed for the back door.

A cold draft swept through the cabin. She heard two loud cracks and knew they had disapparated off of the tracks. Luna was gone, and it was all her fault. 


	24. Gone, Gone, Gone

The train began moving before the stunning spell wore off. Left ear to the floor, Ginny heard the train's whistle and the wheels chugging along the tracks. Someone grabbed Ginny's shoulders and propped her up so she sat upwards in the booth Luna was just taken from.

It was Seamus. He asked her something, but she didn't hear him. Her main concern was Luna.

"I should've saved her," she mumbled. "I couldn't save her."

"Ginny, it's alright'. Luna can take care of 'erself. Are yer alrigh'?" Seamus told her. Although Ginny didn't process what he said, she nodded and looked down to find Neville still laying stiff as a board, his arms still snapped at his sides.

His eyes frantically darted left and right, searching for Ginny. 

"Neville, I'm here." His gaze moved in her direction, but he still couldn't see her. Nevile grunted, and Ginny got up and stood over Neville. "Here, let's get you up. Seamus, help me." 

As Seamus put his hand under Neville's shoulderblade, both saw Neville's fingertips move slightly.  _ Good _ , Ginny thought.  _ The spell is wearing off, at least. _

"On three," Seamus told her. "One, two,  _ three _ !" Both grunted as they struggled to lift Neville. Seconds after they had attempted to elevate him, Ginny's hands began to sweat. 

"Seamus, my hands are too sweaty. I don't wanna drop him." Seamus nodded, and they gently lay him back on the ground. Ginny wiped her hands on her pants and stood over Neville.

"Neville, can you get up yourself? Has the spell worn off so you can?" Neville stared at her blankly. "I'll take that as a no." She knelt back to the ground and turned to Seamus.

"'ey, Cormac, get o'er 'ere. We need yer help lif'ing Neville." Seamus waved the boy over, but he hesitated to stand. "Come on, then!" After hearing the seriousness in Seamus' voice, he hurried over and helped them set Neville up against the side of a booth chair. 

"Thanks, McLaggen," Ginny muttered and sat down beside Neville. He silently nodded back at her and almost ran back to his seat. 

It took a few more minutes before Neville was able to move again completely. He flexed his hands and stood with Ginny's help. 

"Thanks," he told her. "Merlin, my head hurts. Anyone got something cold I can put on it?" The room stayed quiet. "Great, thanks for your help, by the way!" he spat at them angrily. Luna disappeared, and there was no way to know where the Death Eaters had taken her. 

Ginny could only pat him on the back and motion for him to sit back down. He glared at his housemates one last time before occupying the seat in front of Ginny. 

Neville hesitated to speak to her. Her face was almost as red as her hair. Her forehead glistened with sweat. Her hands were tightly clasped together on the table in front of him. In an attempt to comfort her, he put his hands on hers and gently squeezed. 

"I know," was all he could manage. They sat unmoving for the rest of the ride back to Platform 9 3/4. 

\----

Neville and Ginny waited as students ran out to the Muggle train station in increments of four to avoid suspicion. The whole cabin had been silent after the Death Eaters abducted Luna, and no one spoke as they waited their turn to run through the wall. 

They soon stood at the front of the group near the wizards controlling the students exiting the platform. Soon he called Ginny and Neville over, and they ran through in a single file line. 

King's Cross wasn't the bustling atmosphere it usually was. Heavy fog made it impossible to see more than six feet in front of him.

"Erm, write to me, Gin?" he turned to her. She gave a slight nod but didn't look at him. Mrs Weasley stood at the entrance and pulled Ginny in for a hug. Mr Weasley wrapped his arms around his wife and daughter. For a moment, Neville felt jealous that Ginny was able to hug her parents, but he remembered Gran and that she was waiting for him. 

The thought of Gran was perfect timing as a woman yelled, "Neville!" He whirled around to find his grandmother, Augusta, holding her arms out, her eyes glossy and on the verge of tears. "I've been so worried, but I knew you would be alright. Tell me everything when we get home. There are  _ too many people watching here _ ," she whispered in his ear as he was still enveloped in her arms. 

The journey to the house felt like an eternity. Rain pattered on the ground. The sky was gloomy and full of sadness.  _ Mother Nature must not appreciate Death Eaters controlling everything, too _ , he thought to himself. 

They had no umbrella, prompting Neville's hair to drip with water and soak his clothes. Augusta seemed to disregard the fact that her shoes were now filled with water and were squeaking with every step.

They stepped out on the curb, and Augusta pulled out her wand. A purple double-decker bus appeared. A man who looked to be in his early twenties stepped off holding a card and read, "Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor this evening." He looked up at the pair and paused. "Ah, well, come on then! I'll get your trunk, step up. Step up."

They entered and saw a small man with white hair and glasses look at them. A shrunken head hung from the bus mirror behind the windshield. 

"Where to?" it asked. Neville walked to his seat as Augusta told it the address of their house. "Ya hear that, Ernie? Take 'er away!"

Neville heard a lever crank, and the bus jerked forward. He faceplanted on the ground and felt his nose begin to bleed. He grabbed his sleeve and held it to his nose while waiting for his grandmother to catch up to him. 

When she did, he found a bed near the middle of the bus to sit on. Augusta sat across from him and saw his bleeding nose. 

"Is it broken?" she asked dryly. "I'll fix it if it is." She grabbed a newspaper out of her purse. It was The Quibbler. 

Neville didn't think it was broken, but when he put his hand up to check, a bump that had not been there before ached terribly. "Yep, it's broken, Gran." 

"Hmm," she sighed, grabbing her wand from the bag. She raised it and said, " _ Episkey _ ." 

The bus violently turned and squeezed around Muggle cars for several streets before Neville gained the courage to speak.

"Gran, is it safe to talk on the bus?" he asked. When she didn't respond, Neville knew the answer and squirmed in his seat. Augusta reached over and gave his shoulder a hard slap. Immediately, Neville became still.

The rest of the bus ride felt like hell. Neville couldn't stop blaming himself for Luna's abduction. He kept replaying the scene in his head when he got hit with the spell, and he knew if he were only a second quicker, Luna would have been going home with her father.

The bus screeched to a halt; the beds he and Augusta sat in shifted towards the front of the bus. 

"'ere we are," said the shrunken head. "Stan, get their things, will ya?" Stan nodded and hastily reached for the trunk in the luggage rack above him. As Neville neared the front of the bus, he held the trunk out but nearly dropped it because it was so heavy. 

August and Neville stepped off, and the doubledecker bus drove off, disappearing around the corner. 

\----

Ginny's mom and dad hugged her so tight she could barely breathe. She knew they didn't want her going back to school that year, but attendance was mandatory, and they feared she'd be in more danger not going. 

"Ginny, dear!" her mother shouted, throwing her arms around her. "I've been worried sick! We got one letter, but you didn't send any more!" 

"Molly, I'm sure they looked through each letter," Mr Weasley said as he patted his wife on the back. "Right, Ginny?" he turned to her and raised an eyebrow. 

"Mhmm," she agreed. "Yeah, we've had to be careful with what we send out. We should talk somewhere more private, don't you think?" Mr and Mrs Wealsey looked at each other and nodded. 

During the ride home, Mrs Weasley bombarded her with questions while Mr Weasley continuously shut her down. 

"Be patient, Molly. We're almost home." Mrs Weasley remained silent after that. Ginny was just glad to be away from Snape and the Carrows. 

When they arrived home, the twins greeted her with one of their pranks. This time it was setting off fireworks at her feet that multiplied after each mini-explosion. 

"Welcome back!" they said simultaneously and appearing directly behind her. 

"You haven't missed much, sis," George said on her left.

"Yeah, Mom's worried about being attacked again. Oh yeah! They want to pull you from Hogwarts, too," Fred told her behind her right shoulder. 

"Brilliant," she said sarcastically and headed towards the front door. Stepping inside, it smelled like her mother's cooking. She was home again. A heavy sigh left her, and she ran upstairs to her room.

Her bedroom was clean, not like she had left it. Ginny assumed it was Mrs Weasley's doing and allowed herself to plop onto the bed. The springy mattress caught her, and she gently bounced before lying still. She closed her eyes, and before she knew it, she was asleep. 


	25. Only If You Can Catch Him

The Christmas holiday was neither holly nor jolly for Luna, Neville, or Ginny. Ginny felt miserable, knowing she should have done more to save Luna. Neville couldn't bear the thought of Luna alone with the Death Eaters, likely being tortured. Luna felt lonely in the cool, murky cellar they had imprisoned her in.

All three had been separated for weeks, and it was finally time to go back to Hogwarts. Ginny ran through the bricks and reached Platform 9 3/4, followed by Mr and Mrs Weasley. Ginny hurried away from her parents in an attempt to find Neville. She spotted him behind several distraught parents waving goodbye to their children.

"Neville!" she called, waving for his attention. He turned and began to make his way through the crowd towards her slowly; his hands were in his pockets and a melancholic expression plastered on his face. Once he was within arm's length, Ginny grabbed his sweater and yanked him away from the mob of families. 

"Bloody hell, don't ruin my new sweater! Gran made it for me," he said bitterly. 

"Sorry," Ginny muttered. "I had to get away from my parents. We've just fought for the hundredth time about me coming back to school. Anyway, how was your holiday?" 

"Erm, let's— let's talk on the train." He patted her on the shoulder and wandered off, disappearing through the train's steam that clouded the air. 

"Great talk," she muttered to herself and went to find her mother. 

"Ginny! Where are you?" shouted Mr Weasley. She hurried in his direction and made her way through the packed station. Revealing herself, he grabbed Ginny and dragged her farther away from the Hogwarts Express.

"Dad,  _ what are you doing _ ?" she shouted as she realized what was happening. "No! I have to stay at Hogwarts. They'll hurt the younger years without me!" she pleaded. "Please, give me until the spring holidays!"

"Your mother won't be happy with me. We think it's best if you don't go back for any of the second term," he said and continued making his way towards Mrs Weasley. 

Ginny wiggled and thrashed her body, attempting to break free of his grasp. "Stop, please! Mom won't let me out of her sight if we go back." Mr Weasley looked conflicted but finally loosened his grip on her. They abruptly stopped in the middle of the crowd, blocking the traffic flow of people. 

"I—  _ I'll tell your mother I couldn't catch up to you _ ," he whispered. Ginny nodded and gave a weak smile before running off to board the train. 

As she boarded, the train whistle echoed through the station and began rolling on the tracks. Ginny ran through the carriages and found Neville waiting for her in the caboose. 

She slipped into the empty seat across from him and looked down. Neither of them could string enough words together for a sentence. Ginny grimaced at her last memory of the Hogwarts Express: two cloaked men, a cold draft, and Luna kidnapped. 

Neville read her expression and said, "Hey, it's not your fault. We did everything we could. We'll get her back, I promise. Want to know something?" Ginny reluctantly nodded and met his gaze. "Weeks ago, I practiced the Protean Charm and made it so we could change the letters on the coin. It was mainly so Luna and I could talk without the Carrows getting suspicious. You know, with them on our tails and everything, it was getting really difficult. Anyways, she let me know she's safe. Take a look!" 

Ginny frantically reached for her forged Galleon in her pocket. As Neville told her, the letters had been changed. The message  _ Don't Worry, Safe _ replaced what should have been  _ Unum Galleon _ on the top of the coin. 

Ginny put her hand over her mouth and gasped. "Don't worry. I'll check in with her every day. I'm just worried they'll take away the coin if they find it," he told her. 

"Ahem," she cleared her throat. "I— I don't know what to say, Neville. Thank you!" She grabbed his hand and squeezed hard. 

Neville felt his face heat up; he knew his face was as red as a tomato, but he didn't care. They sat hand-in-hand and silent for nearly half an hour before Seamus scooted next to Ginny. 

"Seamus, you've got all the room, now," Ginny lightly chuckled. "Give me enough space to sit at least!" Obeying, he moved over, leaving plenty of space for her to sit. "Thanks," she said, her smile fading.

"Any plans for the D.A. this term?" Seamus eagerly asked. "I know Michael Corner scared a lot of people, but I think it's worth a shot to try again!"

Neville looked surprised. "Erm— when we reach the carriages, I'll get back to you," he responded. Seamus nodded and headed back to his seat. 

"That's a good question, Nev," Ginny muttered. "Are we going to try to do much? I don't think many will come back after the Michael Corner incident." Neville nodded in agreement.

"You're right. They likely won't. Us three—you, Seamus, and I—we could continue to vandalize a few walls and possibly some small stunts. I'm not afraid of 'em, are you?"

"No," she said firmly. "I stopped being afraid after the first Cruciatus detention." Her mood turned sour after mentioning the traumatic day. 

"At least you won't be afraid if we get caught again," he told her. 

Their train car was quiet for the rest of the ride. Occasionally a few whispers could be heard towards the front, but the chatter died down for the most part. All that could be heard was the train chugging along the tracks, heading back to the school they had once called home.

\----

Ginny awoke in her bed with tears in her eyes. After the first time, nightmares frequently came and went, mostly about Harry not making it back to her with a few about the Carrows and Snape. 

She sat up to look at her fake Galleon. The moon was full and bright. The gold gleamed in the moonlight, reflecting the moon's light at Ginny. Fumbling with the coin, she held it up in the moonlight. As she held the Galleon up, the message suddenly changed:  _ Taking Coin, Change Back _ . 

Immediately realizing what was about to happen, she quickly changed the letters to  _ Unum Galleon _ . Her mind raced as she lay back down on her tear-stained pillow. She had a million questions that would go unanswered.  _ Where was Luna? Are they hurting her? Is Harry dead? Did he let Ron and Hermione stay with him?  _ She laid awake for the rest of the night and watched as the sun peeked over the horizon. 

Instead of breakfast, Ginny felt like she owed Hagrid a visit. She pulled Neville and Seamus aside on their way down to breakfast. Both agreed they should visit him, and the trio made their way down the steps to Hagrid's hut. 

Ginny knocked loudly, and Fang barked loudly after the third knock. There weren't any sounds coming from inside except for Fang.

"Maybe he's not home," Ginny said. "Sorry for making you miss breakfast."

"No, try again," Seamus told her. "And ye' didn't make us miss anythin' really. It's not like they're servin' real food except fer dinner."

"Who's comin' ter see me this early?" Hagrid shouted from the other side of the door. "Er, one secon'! I'll be right with ye." 

As they awkwardly waited outside, they noticed the hut looked much nicer than usual. The garden had been weeded, the stairs Ginny stood weren't dusty, and the windows weren't clouded with dirt.

"What's he up to? I think we're the only three that visit him," Ginny asked, exhausted. "He wouldn't have suddenly decided to clean his hut after all these years." The boys shrugged at her, and Neville opened his mouth to say something, but before he could get a word out, the door swung open.

"Oh, it's ye three!" he happily greeted them. Ginny side-eyed Neville, and once she caught his attention, looked back-and-forth between Neville and the inside of the hut. Neville's eyes widened with concern as he caught on. "What're ye standing there fer? Come in, come in!"

He hurried them all inside and grabbed a tea kettle from under the sink. "Oh, I'm alright without tea today," Ginny said quickly, hoping not to hurt his feelings. "I'm quite full from breakfast. Thank you, though." 

Hagrid nodded, still smiling. "What about fer ye two?" he asked Neville and Seamus. 

Neville, not wanting to be rude, couldn't bring himself to decline politely. "Of course, please!" He kicked Seamus' foot under the small circular table prompting Seamus also to request tea. 

"Hagrid?" Ginny asked. "Your... home is spotless today... if that's not rude." 

She wasn't sure how the half-giant would react, but he unexpectedly replied, "Yea' abou' that. I'm throwin' a 'Support Harry Potter party! It's tomorro' evenin' if ye wanna join me. I though' cleanin' the place would make more people wanna come." Ginny cleared her throat and nervously looked to Nevile for help. "It's around yer dinner time t'morrow, I 'spose."

"Hagrid, you sure that's the best idea? With the Carrows in charge of discipline for both students and teachers? Maybe you should hold off," Neville said lightly. 

"Oh, it's fine, Neville! Don' worry abou' 't. I've got a whole plan if 't goes wron'!"

Neville nodded, and the four sat in awkward silence. Seamus raised his hand as though he were asking for permission to speak. 

"Sir, wh—" he stuttered, "what do ye mean 'you have a plan'? There's nowhere to go except Hogsmeade, maybe. Even there, they'll pro'ly find ye."

"Oh, don' worry so much! I'll be fine."

They dropped the topic and changed the subject to their holidays. Ginny mentioned that the Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes joke shop was still booming with business; Neville told them his grandmother got him the fuzziest socks ever; Seamus was in the middle of a story about his cousin Fergus when a powerful knock sounded.

"Be righ' wit ye!" Hagrid shouted. " _ Go out the back door _ ," he whispered to them. " _ Don't be seen or heard, understand? _ " They all nodded and headed for the door as Hagrid hurriedly cleaned up their cups. 

They silently opened the back door and snuck out, just as Hagrid let Snape inside the hut. 

"Why so... clean?" he asked skeptically. "You know why I'm here?" Snape had extra greasy-hair and looked as though he had a rough night.

" _ Ginny, come on! _ " Neville whispered just loud enough for her to hear. She ran to them, and the three ran up every stair to the castle. 

They panted as they made it to the courtyard. Students bustled through the corridors with schedules in hand. 

"We don't have our new class schedule!" panicked Neville. "It's fine. We'll just have to find McGonagall." 

They found her in her classroom, preparing the first-years for their second term of transfiguration. 

"There you three are!" she shouted as they hurried inside. "I've been looking all over for you. Take your schedules and go." She shoved three schedules toward them. They each found theirs and hurried back the way they came. "Don't be late!" she called after them as they ran out of the room. 

\----

Although classes felt like a new level of boring, Ginny found herself sitting in the Gryffindor common room waiting for Hagrid's "party." Neville, Seamus, Parvati, and several other members of the D.A. waited with her.

"We'll sneak out in pairs to not draw anyone's attention," Neville told them decisively. He split them up into groups of four while attempting to recall whether the Carrows would be at dinner that evening. 

The clock struck five o'clock, and Neville abruptly stood.

"Let's get going, everyone."

Neville, Ginny, Seamus, and Parvati were the last four to leave. Neville ran to the end of the corridor and signaled for them when he thought the coast was clear. 

The corridors felt longer than usual; the castle felt much larger. Each hall looked the same, which is why the first-years got easily lost. Ginny began to feel dizzy and lost as she had in her first year at Hogwarts.

"Neville, hold on," she panted. "I— I'm feeling  _ really _ dizzy. Give me a moment, please." The group obeyed and slowed. Neville opened a broom closet door and shoved everyone inside to avoid being seen. 

The room was miraculously large enough for the four of them to fit. The closet's size was not the only strange thing; there were no shelves nor items inside. The room was absolutely empty.

"Where the bloody hell are we?" Ginny asked, still catching her breath. 

"Erm, I couldn't tell ya," Neville exhaled. It was a mere two seconds before the door disappeared, and a trapdoor appeared in the back corner. "Oh... Gin, the castle wants to help again!" Neville laughed. 

"Is this how you go to the last D.A. meeting?" Parvati said, shocked.

"Wicked!" Seamus exclaimed. 

They slipped into the tunnel and ran down the short corridor. They emerged in a stairwell near the front entrance. 

"Wow, that's brilliant!" Parvati squealed after climbing out of the passage. Neville and Ginny loudly shushed her, fearing Snape or the Carrows would hear. " _ Sorry _ ," she whisper-yelled.

They ran down the stairs to Hagrid's, where the other D.A. members were already holding cups of pumpkin juice and tea. Neville fell down

"Ye fer made it!" Hagrid yelled, and several sheers rang out from their friends. The four couldn't see ten feet in front of them due to how foggy it was.

Neville missed a step and tumbled down to the bottom in front of Hagrid's garden. Ginny ran after him but was careful where she stepped. 

"I'm alright!" he called up to her. She slowed, and they made it to the "Support Harry Potter" party. Everyone mostly talked, but a dance circle formed after several of the latest  _ Weird Sisters _ hits played on the radio. 

The celebration lasted an hour before McGonagall was heard pleading with Snape. The greasy-haired man strutted down the steps with the Carrows behind him, McGonagall on hurrying to keep up.

The group could hear her as she yelled, "Please! They're only children! For goodness sake, Severus."

" _ What the bloody hell do you think you're doing here? _ " Alecto Carrow screeched. " _ Get to dinner NOW! _ " No one budged. " _ WHY AREN'T YOU MOVING? I SAID, GET TO DINNER! _ " Her voice echoed through the Forbidden Forest trees behind them.

" _ Avada Kedavra _ ," Amycus yelled. A green light shot out of his wand and nearly missed Lavender Brown. Instead, it hit Hagrid's roof and left a hole in the mossy stone. 

"Hagrid!" boomed Snape's voice. "We must turn you into the Ministry. You've become a danger to the students and the school." He drew his wand as Hagrid took a small step backward. "Don't think about running."

Despite the warning, Hagrid took off behind his home and ran through the trees. Snape and the Carrows shot streams of green toward the students. The group fought back and began to go on offense. 

Parvati and Padma both fought off Alecto's attacks. Alecto thought it was safe to run through the twins, but Parvati shot a stunning spell at her. Amycus tumbled down the hill, and Parvati turned her attention to the remaining Death Eaters.

Professor McGonagall had begun to defend the students but refrained from attacking Snape or Amycus. Snape cast a spell that sent the whole group flying to the ground, and he marched past them after Hagrid. 

"Fools, stay put while I find the bloody oaf!" he shouted. " _ Don't _ let me see anyone up until I get back."

"Good luck finding him!" Seamus yelled at Snape.

"Don't worry, we will," Snape said and stomped away.

"Only if you can catch him!" Neville shouted after them and laughed. 

Crunching leaves and sticks breaking on the forest floor soon echoed. As they retreated, Ginny motioned for Neville to follow. Seamus pleaded with him and grabbed Neville's ankle to stop him, but he brushed Seamus off and ran after Ginny. 

Leaves crunched and sticks broke under their feet as they ran after Snape and Amycus. Shortly after entering the forest, Neville felt enervated, but Ginny felt like she could go on forever. 

When they heard faint voices in the distance, they slowed and tried to step on fewer sticks to quiet their footsteps. 

_ Where's Hagrid? _ Neville mouthed to her. Ginny shrugged back in response. They continued until they finally saw Snape and Amycus through the fog. 

"He's gone!" Amycus shouted furiously at Snape. "How could  _ you _ let this happen?!"

"Now, now," Snape's low voice sounded a few feet ahead of them. "We'll find him in time. There's no way he'll survive out here for long. I heard he's not on the...  _ best _ terms with the centaurs. He's not our concern anymore."

He turned, his cloak dragging behind him on the forest floor. Ginny and Neville ducked behind a giant log and waited as they passed them. They waited until they were out of earshot to start talking again.

" _ Should we find Hagrid? _ " Nevile asked. 

" _ He couldn't have gone far. Plus, he's half-giant, so I'm not sure why Snape and Amycus didn't catch up with him _ ," Ginny whispered back. 

They carefully made their way deeper into the forest. Ginny stepped in mud, and her leg was knee-deep. Neville helped lift her out, and they noticed Hagrid's footprints in the mud. 

The two followed to find themselves at the bottom of a large mountain. 

"I know where he is," Ginny said. "Let's go back. It's getting dark. I'll explain tomorrow. Snape will be furious when we aren't there.”


	26. Mr Ollivander

Luna hummed with the faint sound of the radio playing upstairs. The cellar began to feel like the only place she was safe. Whenever she was forced to leave, they used the Cruciatus Curse on her. 

One lady, in a black corset with dark curly hair, always took pleasure in the torture. Her name was Bellatrix, but they called her Bella. She remembered the name from one of Neville's personal stories. He told her why he didn't live with his parents, and the witch's name came up. 

Harry would want to know everyone that was at Malfoy Manor.  _ Bellatrix _ , she thought to herself. The list of names was growing too long to remember.

Luna thought she would have been pretty in her younger years, but her beauty faded after being barred in Azkaban for fourteen years. Her rotten teeth, wide eyes, and maniacal laughter were hard to forget. 

She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, hoping to forget the horrors she went through that previous night.

\----

_ "Please! Stop," she cried weakly. Powerless and unable to move, Luna lay on the cold stone tiles. After feeling like her bones were on fire, the cool floor was soothing. The brief moment of relief was cut short when cackling echoed through the spacious sitting room.  _

_ "And why would I do that, dearie?" Bellatrix laughed. "You going to cry to your dead mother?" More giggles sounded. She moved to stand in front of the fireplace, directly in front of Luna. " _ Crucio _!" she screamed and smiled, showing off the yellow and black teeth she had left.  _

_ "Pl—" she struggled to spit the words out. Her whole body felt like fire was burning her from the inside-out. "Please, just let me go back to the cellar!" Bellatrix mocked her, but Luna ignored it. She focused on trying to find an out. _

_ Luna looked frantically around the room, searching for Draco Malfoy. She used all the strength she had left to tilt her head down to face the black leather couch.  _

_ He sat on the opposite end of his parents; his body language was closed off and tense. He was attempting to not look at Luna as she wailed in agony, but when he took another glance at her, their eyes locked.  _

_ Please, she mouthed to him. Please help me! Luna widened her eyes; it was her last attempt to seek his help. _

\----

Since Luna arrived at Malfoy Manor, Bellatrix had her taken out of the cellar twice a week for as long as she wished. She always said it was to "practice" the Cruciatus Curse. 

Draco and his parents were always present each time she was tortured for hours; it confused Luna. 

Draco always tried his best not to watch, but whenever his parents noticed him looking away, they forced him to look at Luna. If he didn't, his father would take him out of the room for various amounts of time. Each time they returned, Draco's eyes were glossy and red from, what Luna assumed, was crying; Lucius came with his walking stick in hand, harshly tapping the floor with it. 

Each tap caused Draco to flinch ever-so-slightly, and Luna pitied him for it. Luna supposed Lucius used the walking stick to strike Draco.  _ How could a parent be so cruel to their child? _ It brought tears to her eyes each time she thought about it.

The memory of the night before began to creep back into her mind; her head fell into her hands, and she began to sob quietly. 

\----

_ Draco looked away again and shook his head slightly. At that moment, her body relaxed, and she no longer felt like fire was running through her veins.  _

_ "I'm afraid if I continue, she'll go mad like the Longbottom boy's parents," she giggled uncontrollably. "Remember those nutjobs, Cissy? They barely lasted as long as she did! And I just love our... practice sessions. Don't you, Ms Lovegood?"  _

_ Luna's vision was blurred, and her mind became fuzzy. "Draco, dear, take her to the cellar!" Bellatrix stepped into view and bent over her knees. She mocked Luna and made a pouting face before Draco slowly rose and made his way over to where she lay.  _

_ He easily lifted her and carried her back down to the chilly cellar. She was light and delicate, and he couldn't stand to watch Bellatrix torturing her. _

_ Luna remained still; she clung to every moment of warmth and comfort she could get, for they were two rare feelings. At that moment, all she wanted was to rest.  _

_ She noticed how comfortable Draco's arms were, and she smiled slightly.  _ Who knew Draco Malfoy, of all people, would be her one comfort? _ she chuckled aloud. Laughing felt like it would kill her if the Cruciatus Curse didn't; her body ached so bad.  _

_ "No," Draco muttered as he struggled to open the cellar door. "No, Lovegood, you do not get to go mad like Longbottom's parents." He paused and looked down, "I couldn't forgive myself."  _

_ He readjusted her in his arms to prevent her from slipping. Luna groaned, preparing for the comforting warmth to disappear, but it didn't.  _

_ She was slipping in and out of consciousness and just wanted to stay in his arms a little longer. The warmth was lulling her to sleep. _

_ She abruptly moved her head, fighting to stay awake. Draco'so's head instantly snapped back down to check on her. She was curious as to why he was so concerned for her and furrowed her brow. _

_ "I know what you're thinking," he said shakily under his breath. "No, I don't care for you. I just can't have you go mad after I sat there and watched her torture you for hours." _

_ "Draco," Luna said weakly. He looked at her. His grey eyes were glossy. "I'm sorry." She knew he understood when she felt his body become more rigid, and he shook his head awkwardly.  _

_ He finally managed to unlock the door, and Luna shivered as she felt a cold draft on her skin. Draco held her tighter and carried her to a bench behind one of the stone posts holding the ceiling up.  _

_ He sat with her still in his arms and gently whispered, "Go to sleep; you need to get stronger for tomorrow. She wants to torture you again." He fell silent and didn't set Luna down. Instead, he sat down, still holding her.  _

_ Luna closed her eyes and silently hummed to herself. Before she passed out, she thought she heard Draco humming along with her. _

\----

"Get in the cellar!" said a squeaky voice. Luna took her head out of her hands and peered around the corner. She saw the man they called "Wormtail," shoving an older man through the doorway. 

He stepped into the dimly lit room, and the door slammed shut behind him. They could hear Wormtail fumbling with the keys before the lock clicked. 

Footsteps receded up the stairs and faded until dripping water filled the silence. 

"Hello?" her voice echoed softly within the walls. 

The older man stepped into one of the beams of sunshine that lit the room. He looked at Luna, gave her a half-hearted smile, and nodded in her direction.

He had wide, pale eyes that scintillated like moons through the gloomy cellar. 

"Hello, Ms Lovegood," said Mr Ollivander. "It's been quite some time."

"Yes, sir, it has. When did they take you?" she politely asked. 

He looked down, a pained expression formed. "July," he said abashedly and shakily. "They— they forced me to make that wretched man, erm, Wormtail I think, a new wand. They also—" he didn't continue, and Luna decided against asking.

"I've been here since before Christmas," Luna said warmly. "But I haven't seen you. Why do you think they kept us separated, do you suppose?"

"Maybe I'll tell you another time, Ms Lovegood. I'm quite tired, you see." Mr Ollivander walked to the stone bench opposite of Luna and laid down. 

"Have a good sleep," Luna said and stood. 

She walked to examine her surroundings, but there wasn't much to the room. Luna noticed a lamp that sat on a small wooden nightstand. Besides the little table was a matching chair made up of the same light timber. 

_ You need to get stronger for tomorrow. She wants to torture you again. _ Draco's words echoed in her ear. Luna was unsure whether she could survive such torture for the second day in a row. 

She quietly hummed a tune her father taught her when she was younger. It was one of the few comforts she had while trapped in Malfoy Manor. 

\----

From that day on, Luna and Ollivander spent each day together. Ollivander told her stories about each wand he's ever sold, and in return, Luna would tell him all the stories she found fascinating about her friends.

"It sounds like Mr Potter has some... important business to tend to if he's left Hogwarts," Mr Ollivander whispered. "What about the Granger girl you mentioned? I'm assuming..." he glanced at the entranceway, "she's journeying with him?" he slyly smirked. 

Trying her best to hide it, she looked away. Mr Ollivander modestly smiled and changed the subject for her.

They lightly laughed together until Wormtail banged on the door for the fifth time in a row and yelled at them to shut it. 

They continued to laugh until muffled voices argued on the other side of the door. Luna abruptly stood and laid on her cold bench. 

A loud bang sounded as the door slammed against the wall. Heavy footsteps drew echoed and until Luna saw Mr Malfoy standing above her.

"Come with me," he commanded.


	27. Attacked

Since the "Support Harry Potter" party, Ginny had continued to go in and out of detention. Unlike his flaming-haired friend, Neville did his best to lay low and steer clear of trouble and stay off the headmaster's radar. 

He sat in the Gryffindor common room by the fire with his homework scattered on the floor. Ginny was in detention again, so he stayed up to wait for her. 

He was nearly finished with his potions essay when the portrait swung open. Ginny limped through and sat beside Neville.

"Hey," she said quietly. Neville turned his ear towards her but didn't look at her. "How long have you waited for me?"

"Er- not long," he lied. He continued to scribble on the parchment, looking back-and-forth between his notes and the essay. "Reckon we should go back to give Hagrid and Buckbeak some more food?"

"Yeah, let's get up early tomorrow and go," she replied. They sat in silence for several moments before footsteps sounded from the stairwell. Neville swiftly grabbed each of his assignments and stood abruptly.

"Let's go to bed," he yawned. "If we're getting up early, I don't want to be in a bad mood." Ginny winced from pain as she struggled to get up, too. All she could manage was a nod. 

Neville reached over to give her a hand, but she brushed him off and nearly lost her balance.

"Nev, I'm fine," she said harshly. "Let's just get to bed." Neville, still concerned, left her alone and slowly made his way to the stairs. 

As he followed the spiraling staircase, he bumped into Lavender Brown. Mascara ran down her tear-stained face. 

"Oh- hi, Neville. I'm just going to get a glass of water," she said shyly and pushed past him. 

"Lavender, what's wrong?" he said and grabbed her arm, genuinely concerned. When Ron dated her during their sixth year, he thought she was obnoxious and attention-seeking. After their breakup, though, she became more introverted and stopped talking with most of the Gryffindors. 

"It's none of your business," she shook him off and pushed past him. They heard the portrait swing shut, and Neville turned to Ginny, confused. 

"What's that all about?" he asked curiously. "I know she's changed since Ron, but I'm not even sure what I did to upset her."

"It's not you. She's got quite a bit on her mind at the moment," Ginny defended her. "I don't want to give details, but there's been a few family issues plus Death Eaters running the school. I think she's had too much." Neville understood and continued up to bed.

\----

Ginny shook Neville awake, but all he did was roll over to the other side of the bed. She tried again, shaking him harder, but this time he slapped her. Thinking of the best way to wake him, she struck him as hard as possible.

" _ WHAT THE BLOODY HELL? _ " he yelped in pain, jumping out of bed with his fists in the air. She jumped back to avoid being punched. 

"Sorry you wouldn't wake. We need to go feed Hagrid," she said and headed for the door. 

Neville looked out his window to see the starry night sky and a bright crescent. "Bloody hell, it feels earlier than usual," he groggily said and rubbed his eyes. He dawdled in the direction of the door and followed Ginny down the stairs.

She and Neville hurried off to Hogsmeade, staying in the shadows and darkest roads. It was early spring, and the chilly air made Ginny shudder. They continued down the path until they reached the Shrieking Shack. 

"Okay, you stay here and keep watch while I go up and give Hagrid the food," Ginny told him. "God, I hope he's still there." 

"Wait, are you sure?" Neville asked. "You had a tough time just getting up the stairs last night." 

She nodded and began climbing the path that led up the mountain. As she made her way further up, the temperature dropped significantly, and the air grew thinner. Her legs felt like jelly, but there was nothing she could do about it now that she was so far up. 

Violently shivering, Ginny found the small cave Hagrid had been hiding out in. She peaked around the corner and saw a small fire Hagrid had lit. The half-giant was snuggled against Buckbeak, wrapped up in the creature's enormous wing. 

Ginny smiled but felt bad for waking him. "Hagrid," she called softly, "Hey, I've brought you some food." He jolted awake at her touch and stared at her with wide eyes, trying to process what was happening.

"Oh, er, thanks, Ginny!" he said gruffly. I appreciate all you've done fer me an' Buckbeak here, I really do." She nodded, appreciating his gratitude. "So early, though, don't yer think?" 

"Well, after you nearly got arrested, Snape's been on me and Neville's tails nearly every day. He has the Carrows follow us when he can't, so it's best if we come up earlier now." 

Hagrid nodded and dug into one of the loaves of bread she had packed. The warmth of the fire was comforting after walking for the last half hour to Hogsmeade. Then she remembered Neville was still freezing at the bottom of the mountain, waiting for her return.

"I should get back to Neville before the sun rises, but we'll be back next week. Try not to run out of food by then!" she called as she rounded the corner out of the cave. 

She stepped out of the cavern and felt the icy wind light flow through her hair. She shuddered and quickly made her way back to Neville. Her companion hadn't budged, but his wand was drawn.

"What's wrong?" she whispered, pulling her own wand out. 

"I'm not sure," he replied. "I have a feeling that we'll need these, though." Ginny trusted him, and they cautiously made their way back to the castle, checking behind them every-so-often. 

As they passed Honeydukes, a jet of green light sped toward them. Neville was quick in casting the shielding charm. They ran to the nearest building behind them while scanning the area for their attacker. 

Entering the building, they hastily shut the door and began boarding it with whatever they could find. Sweat trickled down their faces as they stacked chairs and tables against both the door and windows.

"What do you think you're doing?" a deep voice sounded from behind them. Neville's hand reached down to his pocket, but he felt a hand tightly grip his wrist. " _ Don't _ even think about it."

Ginny turned and saw Dumbledore's piercing blue eyes staring at her. "Aberforth!" she cried and threw her arms around him. He released his grip on Neville as Ginny crushed him with her hug. 

"Someone's just attacked us," he explained. "I'm not sure who, but we needed a place to hide."

"By all means, use mine!" he said sarcastically. "Sure, put my tavern in danger." Ginny scowled at him and shook her head.

"Wow, and I thought we'd made headway with you and Luna getting along so well," she scoffed.

"Oh yeah, where is the girl, by the way?" he asked. 

"Taken," Ginny said quietly. "They took her before Christmas." 

"My, that's been months now, hasn't it?" he said, a hint of worry in his tone. 

"Yeah, she's let us know she's okay, though. At least, she was," Ginny said quietly. She hadn't realized it had been months since Luna's capture. She saw Neville had read her mind and was thinking about it too.

"I might have a way to smuggle you back in," Aberforth sighed after the long silence. "It recently opened up, and I found it the other day." He walked over to a portrait of a young girl. She greeted him, and he gave a sad smile. 

"Go through the portrait. It should lead you back to Hogwarts," he said. "I followed the tunnel myself, and you'll end up in the Room of Requirement. The last time I checked, it was empty." Both of them stood stiffly, unsure whether to trust him. "You said it yourself, Ms Weasley. You should trust me because of Luna. Go one, now," he urged. 

Ginny climbed up into the hole, and Neville followed shortly after. They nodded in thanks to Aberforth, and he nodded back, closing the portrait.

" _ Lumos _ ," Ginny said. The tip of her wand lit up, and she led the way through the tunnel. As they moved further along, the air got much chillier and sad. Ginny felt whatever happiness she had left being drained from her. 

"Dementors," Neville muttered, and they continued their journey back. The air felt hopeless and miserable. They neared the end of the tunnel, but Neville held Ginny back. 

"We don't know what to expect. Shouldn't we get out our wands?" he asked.

"No, Aberforth says this leads to the Room of Requirement, remember? And in our fifth year, the Room helped us and made sure Umbridge and Filch didn't find us." They stared at each other for ages before ginny asked, "Ready?"

Neville nodded and pushed open the portrait concealing the tunnel. It creaked open and revealed a bland, mostly empty, room.

Ginny looked down and walloped Neville in the arm. "Is that a-" Ginny began, but Neville cut her off.

"Mattress? Yeah, it is. I think the Room of Requirement is helping us again. Do we jump, you reckon?" he said, his voice wavered slightly. 

Ginny gave him a small nod and stepped off the ledge. She flopped backward on the mattress and bounced a few times before lying still. She smiled and looked up at Neville. 

"Come on down. It's fun, really!" she urged him.

"I- I don't like heights, Gin. You know this," he said nervously. It took him many minutes of encouragement and several tries before leaping out and onto the springy cushion.

He was in the air for what felt like a lifetime before feeling the soft mattress catch him. 


	28. Over the Spring Holiday

Luna awoke with a start. She groggily rubbed her eyes and found Mr Olivander sitting in front of her, bruised like he'd been beaten badly.

"Oh my- sir," she hurried over to help him up. He groaned in pain as she propped him up against the wall. 

He stared blankly at the wall. Luna, unsure what to do, placed a hand on his shoulder. He stiffened, so she quickly withdrew and retreated to her bench. 

Water dripped down into the cellar, echoing loudly in the silence. After nearly an hour of listening to it, Mr Ollivander carefully made his way to the tiny chair and desk beside Luna. After easing into the seat, he exhaled deeply. She opened her mouth to speak, but the cellar door creaked open noisily. 

"Luna," Draco's voice resounded, "they want to see you again." She peered around the corner nervously and hesitantly followed him. 

Once the door was locked, he turned to her and whispered, "They're angry, I won't lie to you. I- I'm so sorry." He refused to look at her, but Luna could tell he meant no harm. 

She gently placed a hand on his shoulder, causing him to flinch. He looked up at her; his eyes were red and scared. She forced a soft smile and nodded to let him know she understood he had no choice. He looked back at the ground and pursed his lips. 

He escorted her up to the sitting room before deserting her in the room with Bellatrix. Luna watched as Bellatrix paced the room before sitting down to 

"Thank you, Draco," she sounded agitated. "Ms Lovegood, how... wonderful it is to see you again. Sit, won't you?" She patted the leather chair on her right.

Luna carefully made her way over and obeyed, taking a seat beside her. 

"Dear, let me get a closer look at you," Bellatrix said and aggressively pulled Luna in so her face was inches from hers. Her rotten and stained teeth showed as she smiled wickedly. "We have some...  _ special _ ... plans for you today. Cissy, come here!"

Draco's mother made her way into the room and stood before her sister. "Yes, Bella?"

"I know Draco's conflicted," she began, and her sister looked at the floor, ashamed, "but I need you to tell him I'm giving him the privilege of torturing blondie here. It's his spring holiday, so he might as well make it worthwhile." She pulled out her wand and fiddled with it while her sister left to fetch her son.

"Ma'am," Luna said politely, "I don't think he's conflicted. You see, he has no choice because his whole family is made up of Death Eaters and are close to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named." Striking a nerve with Bellatrix, Luna flinched when she raised her wand.

"Do not speak like that to me!" Before she got the chance to curse Luna, Wormtail came running into the room. 

Sweaty and out of breath, he screamed, "They've found Potter! They've found the boy!" Bellatrix immediately lowered her wand and angrily turned to the stubby man.

" _ Are you sure? _ " she shouted. " _ If you're wrong, I'll get rid of you myself so the Dark Lord won't have to! _ "

"Yes," his voice cracked. "They're waiting at the gates for you." Her eyes entire manner changed, and she jumped with joy.

"We've got Potter! We've got Potter!" She crossly looked at Wormtail and said, "And why isn't she on her way back to the cellar already?" Clearly fearful, Wormtail ran over to Luna and dragged her back down to Mr Ollivander's company. 

He hastily locked the door, and Luna heard his footsteps recede up the stairs. "Back so soon?" Mr Ollivander's voice sounded from behind her. "I was glad to hear they weren't torturing you." Luna made her way over to the stone benches. She sat opposite of her new ally and gave a sad smile. 

"Yes, erm, Harry's turned up," she said sorrowfully. "I hope they manage to get out of the trouble they're in this time." Before Mr. Ollivander had the chance to respond, they heard fighting and Bellatrix screaming for people to get out.

"Sounds like someone's gone mad," Mr Ollivander grinned. Luna giggled and fell silent, listening to the commotion above.

" _ Put the boys in the cellar! _ " Bellatrix screeched. " _ I want to have a conversation with this one, girl to girl! _ "

" _ Hermione! No, don't touch her! _ " sounded Ron's voice. They heard as he struggled to protect her. When she heard footsteps nearing them, she got up and peered around the corner. The door opened, and Harry, Ron, and Dean Thomas were shoved inside. Wormtail immediately closed the door, and the lock clicked loudly.

Ron banged on the wood and screamed, "No! Hermione! Hermione!"

Luna stepped out from the shadows and said, "Harry? Ron?" Their heads swiveled around, and they stared in disbelief. 

"Luna?"


	29. Running Away

Neville stared in disbelief at the fake Galleon:  _ 411 9006.  _

" _ LUNA'S ALRIGHT! LUNA'S ALRIGHT! _ " he celebrated, rushing out of his dorm to find Ginny. He found her sitting in front of the fire finishing her charms homework. 

She sprang to her feet and demanded, "How do you know?" Neville showed her the coin, but her face contorted with confusion. "What do the numbers mean?"

"They represent letters. The number four, for example, looks like the uppercase letter 'A'" Ginny struggled to decode the message.

"Would it say... all good? If you flip the six, it looks like a 'd'." she asked. Neville nodded, and Ginny hugged him until he thought his lungs would explode. "We have to tell the others!" 

The news spread through the whole house like wildfire. The pair did their best to contain it before Snape or the Carrows heard, but it was a near-impossible task.

"Longbottom! Get over here!" Alecto yelled as Neville passed by his classroom the next morning. 

"Yes, sir?" he asked innocently, knowing exactly what he was about to ask. 

"I heard a rumor that you managed to keep in contact with your friend, Lovegood." Neville slowly nodded. "I'm curious... how did you do it?" He repressed an aggressive tone as he tried to extract the information from Neville.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about, sir," Neville firmly replied. "I should be getting to breakfast." He walked out of the room as Alecto bellowed for him to come back. He found Seamus and Ginny sitting in their usual spot at the table. 

" _Hey!_ " he heard Seamus exclaim. " _We've got actual food for breakfast!_ _Look, there's Treacle Tart!_ " He enthusiastically dug into the pastry.

"Slow down!" Ginny laughed. "You'll choke if you don't!" The cheerfulness brought comfort to Neville after his run-in with Alecto Carrow. 

"'Aye, Ne'ille's here!" Seamus said, his mouth stuffed with the tart. 

"So, Alecto is onto us again," Neville told them quietly. "I acted innocent, but he knows something's up."

"Well, let's not worry about that," Ginny said, grabbing a clean plate from beside her. She cut a slice of the Treacle Tart and handed it to Neville. "Let's all be  _ happy _ for once! We need as much joy as we can get." Neville nodded in agreement and took a small bite from his tart. 

His eyes delightedly rolled into the back of his head. "Holy- this is amazing!"

The whole student body remained in the Great Hall for the entirety of breakfast. When the food disappeared, signaling for students to head to class, groans echoed. 

The day felt like it would never end after the delicious breakfast. The Carrows were grumpier than usual, making their classes especially unpleasant for the first-years. 

Neville helped three times as many younger students stealthily make their way to Madam Pomfrey throughout the lunch period—she had modestly been treating students, asking no questions when Neville first asked for her to aid him.

Avoiding Snape on his way back to the common room, Neville detoured through several less-traveled corridors. He briefly stopped to talk with several paintings to chat about how miserable the school year had been. 

Eventually, he made it back to Gryffindor Tower and recited the new password, " _ Beatus Pascha _ ." 

"Come in, darling," the Fat Lady cooed, revealing the common room behind her. "Hurry along, now!"

Neville found Ginny on the stairs, staring at a letter. Her face was a mixture of disappointment and excitement.

"Hey, Gin, who's that from?" Neville asked. 

"My dad," she answered. "H- he might stop me from returning after the Easter holiday." Neville felt his stomach drop. 

"That's... smart," was all Neville could manage. 

"Hey, if I don't come back, get into more trouble for me," she kidded. 

Neville gave her a reassuring pat on the back and said, "Yes, of course, I will." Ginny laughed and offered him an apple she had stolen at breakfast. 

"I stole dozens because I wasn't expecting much food after that ridiculous meal this morning," she chuckled. Neville gratefully took it and stored it in his pocket for later. 

After another ten minutes of small talk, the bell interrupted an important conversation about whose boggart was worse. 

They slowly exited the common room and went their separate ways—Ginny left to muggle studies, Neville made his way to herbology. 

\----

The Easter holiday arrived much sooner than expected. Before Ginny and Neville knew it, they were on the Hogwarts Express heading back to London. 

Everyone was on edge during the train rides following Luna's abduction. Wands were tightly gripped in several Gryffindor's hands; others had theirs nearby in easy-to-reach spots. 

Neville paced for nearly the entirety of the ride. Ginny stayed stiff in her seat and watched both carriage doors, waiting for someone to come through and attack at any time. 

The Hogwarts Express slowed as it neared the station, and everyone hastily gathered their trunks. They patiently waited as all the younger years stepped onto the platform. 

"Gin, if you really don't come back, stay safe for me, okay?" She softly nodded and took Neville's hand. "Promise?"

"I promise," she consoled him, giving his hand a light squeeze. 

When it was finally their turn to get off, the line to exit the platform wasn't as long as Ginny expected. Within five minutes, she and Neville were at the front. When they made it to King's Cross station, Ginny quickly found her mother and hurried into her outstretched arms. Mrs Weasley tightly hugged her and refused to let go until Mr Weasley patted her on the back.

"Molly, I think Ginny needs to breathe," he smiled weakly. Mrs Weasley released her and took a long look at her.

"Oh, darling, I'm so sorry," she said teary-eyed. "Ginny, dear, we are so sorry." 

"I- I'm not sure why you're apologizing." Her mother gently cupped her daughter's face with her hands. 

"We sent you to school. That's why I'm apologizing," she said, moving a piece of Ginny's hair behind her ear. "Arthur, let's get back to The Burrow." Mr Weasley nodded and led them to where he parked. 

Neville watched them disappear around the corner. After watching Mrs Weasley's reaction to her return, he knew it would be the last time he would see her at the Death Eater-infested school.

\----

As the minutes ticked by, Neville watched as crowds of Muggles bustled about through the station. Hours passed before Neville decided to leave for Gran's alone. 

By then, the station had cleared out. The only sound was his footsteps echoing as he exited King's Cross.

Neville stepped outside and felt raindrops sprinkle from the grey clouds above. He exhaled deeply and began the long journey home. 

He walked several blocks before realizing he was of age and legally allowed to apparate home. He carefully made his way to a dim alley, checking behind him every-so-often to ensure no muggle would see him.

Once confident no muggle would see him, Neville gripped his trunk tightly and pictured his grandmother's home. He thought back to his Apparition lessons and the Three D's: Destination, Determination, and Deliberation. His mind flipped back to Gran's place, and he let it take over his thoughts. 

Out of nowhere, Neville felt like he was being squeezed through a tube too small to fit through; the air in his lungs felt like it was being forced out of him, and he couldn't breathe properly. 

Dizzy and nauseated, Neville realized he had appeared at his gran's home. His heart quickened as he saw several broken windows. 

He drew his wand, and cautiously stepped into the house. The first thing that caught his eye was the broken chairs lying in pieces near the table. Neville wandered through the house, checking for his grandmother's assailant as he assessed the damage.

When he made it to his room, the door opened with a creak. It appeared nothing had been disturbed. Running his finger along the bookshelf, he noticed one sticking out more than the others. 

He pulled it from the shelf and flipped it over to read the cover:  _ The Tales of Beedle the Bard.  _

"Oh, blimey, I loved this as a child," he muttered to himself. He opened the cover and found a note scrawled in his gran's handwriting.

It read:

_ Neville, _

_ The Death Eaters have come for me, so I'm sorry I didn't come to King's Cross. I know they're here because of you. I know you've done your parents proud. Truly, you have proven to be your parents' son. _

_ I'll be on the run for quite some time, but don't worry about me. I can take care of myself. Continue your parents' legacies as their brave little Gryffindor.  _

_ \- Gran _

Did the Death Eaters really go after her because of him? Neville reflected on everything he'd done. For the last few weeks, he'd continued holding meetings, plotting a way to make the school safer for the younger years. That's it, he thought. That's why they're after Gran.

A satisfactory feeling swept through him. Gran was proud of him, and she'd said he was truly his parents' son. He smiled to himself. Amid everything horrible that happened, the silver lining was he'd made his grandmother proud. 

Wanting to avoid attracting Muggle’s attention, he cleared the destruction and tidied the place up. Once finished, he sat in the dining room chair, and dreadful thoughts flooded his mind again.

His head was filled with worries ranging from concerns regarding Ginny's and his Gran's safeties to how he would protect the younger years when it was time to return to Hogwarts without his two best friends alongside him. 

He took a deep breath and decided to focus on one issue at a time. Priority number one: Survive in Gran's house for the week despite her absence.


	30. Muggle Blood

"Oi, what's up with ye?" Seamus slid into the seat opposite of Neville. When he didn't respond, Seamus changed the subject. "So, erm, do ye have anythin' planned for the D.A. yet? A few lads were curious."

Neville hadn't thought much about what he wanted to do with the D.A. after Gran disappeared.

"Er, I'll get right on that," he slowly replied. "Tell them I'll think of a few things before we reach Hogwarts." Seamus nodded and went back to his seat, leaving Neville alone with his thoughts yet again.

The train pulled into the station, and Professor Flitwick led everyone to the carriages. Neville was the last to arrive and barely made it in time for a carriage. Flitwick hopped into the seat next to Neville, and they began the journey back t the castle. 

He did his best not to be rude and make small talk with him, but it proved to be much more difficult after Flitwick asked him where Ginny had gone.

"Erm, I- I don't think she's coming back, sir," Neville responded. 

"Oh, that's probably for the best," he replied softly and gave Neville a slight pat on the back. The conversation ended, and an uncomfortable silence followed. 

When they finally arrived at the castle, Neville quickly grabbed his trunk and proceeded to the Gryffindor Tower. The Fat Lady eagerly allowed him into the common room, and he hurried up to his dormitory. 

Setting his trunk down, he hopped onto his bed and laid there for what felt like hours. It was nearly sundown when Seamus entered and asked if he was going to dinner. Neville told him he'd be right down, but his appetite said otherwise. 

Seamus nodded and silently shut the door on his way out. Neville forced himself to sit up and go down to dinner with the rest of the Gryffindors.

When he arrived at the Great Hall, a magnificent feast appeared. Neville became skeptical because they had already served them a feast as great as this before the holiday. 

Seamus nudged him and exclaimed, "Maybe we'll get lucky an' have a supper like this tom'rrow!" 

Neville gave an encouraging smile and went to take a seat alongside Seamus. He took a chicken leg and half a corncob. He forced himself to take small bites despite his lack of hunger. 

When his plate was empty, Neville left the Hall early and went straight to bed. He changed into pajamas and tucked himself beneath the covers.

He laid still and stared at the ceiling, his mind racing. His first thought was of Luna. He hoped she would stay safe and hidden wherever she was. Then, Ginny popped into his head. He debated whether the Death Eaters would consider attacking the Burrow for her. He shuddered, shaking horrible images from his head. Last, he thought of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Neville knew wholeheartedly that they would bring an end to whatever second war You-Know-Who had started.

This slightly calmed him, and he was able to rest his eyes. By the time Seamus returned from dinner, Neville was sleeping, snoring softly into his pillow. 

\------

The first week back at the school was worse than anything Neville had imagined. The Carrows were hungrier than ever for punishment. If they caught any student breaking a minor rule, they were to be punished to the fullest extent in front of the class. 

Sometimes they used the Cruciatus curse for several minutes on end; other times, they would allow Crabbe, Goyle, and several other kids of Death Eaters to practice curses on the younger years.

This wasn't the school Neville remembered—this wasn't his home. In hopes of staying away from the Carrows, most students stopped hanging out outside of their common rooms. Others stayed in their dormitories because the twisted siblings began making sporadic visits to each of the houses merely to bully more students.

Neville was one of the few who didn't let his fear overtake him. Although he was scared, he also fumed with anger. 

But he couldn't vent to anyone, including the DA. Earlier that week, a third-year Ravenclaw blabbed to one of his friends about how horrible Snape had treated him, and someone reported him to the Carrows. He returned with his arms severely burned, and he hadn't spoken with anyone since the incident. 

Neville had a gut feeling that Crabbe and Goyle had something to do with his torture. They'd thrived in the Dark Arts classes, and Amycus took particular interest in them because they were willing to torture first years. The pair of blokes were sick and twisted. 

It was the last Friday of April, and Neville was anxious for the weekend to arrive sooner. His last class of the day was Muggle Studies with Alecto Carrow. 

With each step, he dreaded the class more and more. Finally, he rounded the corner and took his seat behind Seamus. 

The lecture began as it normally did—first, how Muggles caused wizards to go into hiding, then why Muggles were bad. Neville couldn't listen to the same speech for the hundredth time. 

To fill the time, he began envisioning ways to irritate the Carrows to compensate for Ginny's absence. Several schemes filled his head, but Alecto caught him off guard when she began to teach that Muggle-borns deserved death. 

"What did they do to earn their magical powers?  _ Nothing! _ " she spat. "They should be killed on-site." Several students shifted in discomfort. Others subtly shook their heads in disbelief.

Neville decided to take a chance and speak up. "Yeah? Is that so?" 

"Is what so?" she repeated back to him. 

"You heard me just fine," Neville challenged her. She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes at him. His heart seemed to beat in his throat, but he feigned bravery for the sake of himself and his classmates. 

She scoffed and couldn't come up with a decent reply, so she walked over, not breaking eye contact. Her gaze burned into him, but Neville didn't break. He followed her as she weaved through the students to his desk.

Before Neville could say anything, she struck him hard across the cheek. "You shall not disrespect your professors like that, boy! I can do so much worse if you defy me again." 

Neville smirked and raised his eyebrows at her. Alecto pointed a tiny dagger in his face, attempting to threaten him with it. " _ Don't try anything! _ " she muttered, barely audible. 

Her face was inches from Neville's, close enough for him to smell her foul breath. He cringed and retracted his head as far back as possible. He suddenly felt like vomiting. 

She slowly withdrew towards the front of the room and continued with the lesson. "Muggle blood is filthy and wicked," she babbled on. Neville's face flushed red with anger; he couldn't take it anymore. All Alecto told was lies, trying to brainwash them into believing that rubbish.

"Oi, you're pretty filthy. Just look at you! How much Muggle blood have you and your brother got then?" He earned several snickers for his remark. Alecto became flustered, and Neville swore he saw her eyes flash red with fury.

" _ Get. Up. Here. Now! _ " her face red and tone threatening. Neville immediately stood, preparing for the pain his punishment would bring. 

The room instantly became silent and still. She drew her dagger from her desk and began lightly tapping Neville's face with the acute tip. 

"Where to make the first cut," she said menacingly. "Aw, I'd hate to damage such a lovely face." Neville swallowed hard. He was about to be a new example for the class.  _ Of course, _ he thought.  _ Someone had to do it. At least it isn't the first-years. _

Alecto lightly dragged the point of the knife to his upper forehead and swiftly swiped her hand across his face. Pain seared through his brow.

Neville's breath became more ragged and heavy, but he did not wince. He couldn't give her the satisfaction. 

"Hm," Alecto thought aloud, "If you don't flinch at that, maybe you will at this!" He felt her inflict a deeper wound just below his left ear. Still concealing signs of hurt, Neville clenched his jaw and balled his hands into tight fists.

Alecto tutted and circled him before kicking him in the leg. Neville went down, striking the stone floor hard. 

"Let's see, let's try...  _ this _ !" She screeched with laughter as she had just stabbed—not cut, stabbed—Neville in the shoulder. A small whimper escaped him, and he swore under his breath. "Ah, dear, let the cries of anguish out. No need to keep quiet." 

Neville, still sprawled on the floor, shook his head. " _ N- never _ ," he replied weakly. 

She pulled her wand from her robes and said, "Maybe I shall call my brother in. He'll deal with you just fine." She paused to think. "Then again, we could have so much fun in detention. I like that idea much better. Detention, Longbottom. Tonight at eight. I assume you're aware, considering you and Ms Weasley caused such a fuss last term. By the way, where is she, Ms Weasley, I mean?"

Slowly making his way to his feet, he shrugged and innocently said, "No idea." Alecto suspiciously stared at him, but the bell rang, relieving him, and the rest of the class from her presence.

"Don't forget your detention," Alecto smiled wickedly as Neville hurriedly gathered his books.

"That won't be necessary," Snape's voice sounded from the entrance of the classroom. "Longbottom, my office  _ now _ ."


	31. Hideout

Neville slowly made his way to the Headmaster's Tower. He leaned against the wall in Gargoyle Corridor and waited. It baffled him that Snape pulled stopped Alecto from giving him a detention.

Footsteps distantly echoed, and Neville perked up. He readjusted his jumper, slightly nervous. 

Longbottom, come with me," Snape ordered. His strides were long but quick. When he reached the entrance to the office, he said, "Lily." Moving stairs appeared and spiraled around the gargoyle. 

Snape climbed the stairs, his cloak dragging behind him. Neville hesitated but fell into step behind him, following up to the doorway. 

"Wait here," Snape commanded. Neville eyed the greasy-haired professor as he disappeared behind the heavy wooden door into his office.

Neville heard objects rustling and clattering, but he patiently remained still. Snape appeared reemerged from the office and motioned for him to enter. 

"Take a seat, Longbottom." Neville obeyed and walked to the chair in front of the headmaster's desk. "We have several things to... discuss." Snape took his seat across from Neville. The pair stared at one another for an uncomfortably long amount of time before Neville spoke up.

"Erm, sir. Did- did you have anything to say? Or did you steal me away from Alecto just for the fun of—?" Snape held up his hand to stop Neville from speaking.

"I'm thinking. Be quiet," he grumbled. Another excruciatingly awkward five minutes passed before Snape met Neville's gaze.

"Sir, if this is about Ginny, I'm not sure where she is." Neville knew he implicated himself more by being the first to mention it, but he wouldn't allow Ginny to be in danger because of him.

"That's not why I've called you here. You see, Mr Longbottom, I have a matter that needs... resolving. Unfortunately, that means I must kick you out of Hogwarts, which I simply cannot do under the Dark Lord's instructions." He paused uncomfortably, and a loud silence hung in the air.

Neville's heart began to beat much quicker.  _ Was Snape considering using the Killing Curse on him? _ "Sir, please," he began to plead. "Please, I'll get away as far as possible." Snape rubbed his temples, contemplating what to say next.

"You have one hour. If you cannot get away, I'll have no other choice but to turn you over to the Carrows, and you seem to have an idea of what will happen then." His face softened, disturbing Neville. "Now go." 

Neville looked at the clock and abruptly stood, rushing out of the office.  _ 12:15. _ Frantically, he ran to Gryffindor Tower. The Fat Lady attempted to make conversation, but he insisted she let him in. Believing him to be rude, she refused and wouldn't open. 

"Please, I promise it's not me being rude. Please!" he implored. She shook her head and crossed her arms, still refusing his entry. 

Neville was in luck as he heard Seamus running up the stairs. 

"Oi, what's got ye in a mood?" he said, smiling.

Neville tugged him away from the Fat Lady and said, "Snape's given me one hour to leave Hogwarts before he turns me over to the Carrows—and so you know, they will kill me. I need to get into the tower, but she won't let me through."

Seamus' face drained of color, and he slowly nodded. "Erm, right mate. I'll get ye in. Jus', tell me where yer goin'?"

"I'm not sure. My last resort will likely be the Room of Requirement," Neville responded in a hushed voice. "Don't tell anyone what's happened unless they need to get out, too. I'll change the Galleon and tell you where I am when I decide to leave." Seamus nodded and went back to the Fat Lady. 

She eagerly let him in, and Neville ran through along with him. The common room was empty, as most people were at lunch. 

Neville ran up to his dormitory and grabbed his trunk. He packed what he could in the short five minutes he had given himself. When his time was up, he closed his half-full bag and ran back down to the common room. 

He swung the portrait open and ran to the courtyard. He looked at his watch and saw it was a quarter till one o'clock. 

There was no way he'd make it to Hogsmeade in that half-hour with his trunk and no carriages.  _ The Room of Requirement it is _ , he thought to himself. 

He rushed up the stairs to the seventh floor. Quickened his pace to a run, he headed for the left corridor. Neville finally arrived in front of the wall where the D.A. used to meet. 

_ I need a place to stay that will be safe from any Carrow supporters. _ A door appeared, and Neville lunged forward to enter.

The room was large and completely empty except for one mattress with a pillow and blanket on top. Neville quietly shut the door and hoped it disappeared on the other end. 

Neville went over and set his things alongside his new bed. He sat on the cushion, bouncing slightly. Looking around the room, he sighed deeply. This was now home.

\----

_ The air was chilly with a draft. Neville's vision was blurred, and he could see little to nothing. Screams echoed in the air, along with maniacal laughter. _

_ "No, don't kill him, Bella! Don't do it!" a woman begged. "You grew up with us. Why are you doing this?" _

_ "Alice, dear, does it look like I care that we grew up together?" another woman, who Neville assumed was Bella, said mockingly. "We've come for information on the Dark Lord. Where is he?"  _

_ "Rudy...Barty...Bella. We can work something out. Just don't hurt our son!" It was a man's voice this time. He sounded just as anxious as the first woman. _

_ "Now, now. Defying my father was wicked, but killing your son would just be cruel. Give us the information now!" The second man had a hoarser voice than the first.  _

_ "No, we can't! We have no idea!" said the first woman called Alice. _

_ "Ali, you and your husband have such a... strong reputation in the wizarding world. You must have information on where he is!" growled the hoarse voice. _

_ "But we don't!" cried Alice. "We truly do not know his whereabouts." _

_ "Hm? Hear that, Barty? They've got no knowledge of where he is," Bella said scornfully.  _

_ "Must have to force it out of them, I guess," Barty responded. "Rudy, go hold Frank back while we deal with Alice." _

_ "Stop! DON'T TOUCH HER!" cried Frank. A thud could be heard amid his pleas for the three not to hurt Alice. "My son needs his mother! I need my wife!" His pleas were agonizing and filled with pain. _

_ "Oh, pity," Bella said to him. "Give us the location of the Dark Lord, and we shall not harm you!" _

_ "We don't know!" Alice cried for what Neville thought was the tenth time.  _

_ His blurred vision began to clear, and he saw a dark, curly-haired woman in a black skirt with a corset top.  _

_ "Alice!" Frank cried again.  _

_ " _ Crucio _!" Bella yelled, and Alice wailed in pain. She writhed on the floor, and Frank continued begging them to stop. _

_ The whole scene was very perplexing to Neville, but melancholy seeped into him too. He was unsure what was going on or where he was, but it was excruciating to watch.  _

_ The woman, Bella, must've lifted the curse because Alice grew still. She twitched every so often, but she was unable to form a full sentence.  _

_ "No! Alice, my dear, fight! Fight for your son! Fight for me!" Frank burst into tears, attempting to break free from Rudy's grasp.  _

_ "Your turn!" croaked Barty. He grinned maliciously, and Neville noticed his tongue flicked to and from the corner of his mouth. "Bring him here, Rudy. Don't be kind; we need the information." _

_ "No! Alice! Please!"  _

_ Rudy dragged Frank next to his motionless wife.  _

_ "Tell us...where...he is." Frank shook his head and let out a cry. _

_ "I- I don't know! Believe me; I'd tell you if I knew!" he screamed, tears streaming down his cheeks. _

_ "Well then,  _ Crucio _!" Frank twitched violently and shrieked. "This will all be over if you tell us where the Dark Lord resides!" Barty lifted the curse, and Frank grew still, groaning in pain. _

_ "I- don't- know!" Frank said between heaving breaths. Alice stirred and attempted to prop herself up, but Barty stomped on her spine. She hit the floor with a pained grunt.  _

_ "We don't know where he is," she coughed, trying to face Barty. _

_ "That's too bad," Bella stood over her. "Are you saying we've been given bad information? Because what we heard was you and Frank were exceptional Aurors and had found the Dark Lord." _

_ "You- you heard wrong, then. We never found him. We searched up to Albania, but we had to come back because of our Neville, our son!"  _

_ Bella thought for a moment, mouth open in shock. "Rudy, would you like to do the honors this time?" _

_ "Gladly," he replied. " _ Crucio _!" Alice roared in agony again.  _

_ But after several seconds of watching the torture, Neville's vision became blurred, and Alice's screams were muffled. _

Mum _ , he thought.  _ Dad _!  _

\----

Neville awoke with a start. He opened his eyes to find the Room of Requirement's light was dim, and the bed wet with sweat. 

Neville stood and used the drying spell so he could lie back down comfortably. It was his parents, he realized. 

It was Bellatrix, Barty Crouch Jr., and Rudolph Lestrange torturing them. He'd never had a nightmare like that one. Sitting on the bed, he thought about what he'd seen. He couldn't sleep for the rest of the night. 

Telling when it was day and night proved to be difficult with no sunlight to guide him. Neville's watch was the only thing he had to go off of, but the days felt much longer than usual. There wasn't much to do except to sit on his bed and hope Harry got there soon. 

Everyone had continued telling him that Harry was dead, but Neville still denied it. There was no way the Chosen One had died during whatever secret mission he'd set off on.

To fill time, he'd written to Seamus and used the spell Ginny had at the beginning of the year to send messages to the D.A. He watched the little rat scurry out a small mouse hole in the room and thought about how nice it would be out and about in the castle again.

Three long days had passed before the room's door opened. Neville jumped awake and out of bed, wand in hand. 

"Oi mate, calm down. It's only me!" 

"Seamus!" Neville exclaimed. "Bloody hell, you scared the life out of me! Why're you here? What's happened?"

"Well, the Carrows threatened to have the Creevey brothers, Angelina, an' the Patil twins killed, so I'm sending 'em 'ere. Can ye take 'em?" he asked hopefully.

"Of course, yeh! Erm, the beds might be a bit difficult, though," he told them.

"What're ye talking about, mate? There are five hammocks right' o'er there!" Seamus pointed to the corner opposite of Neville.

Staring in awe, Neville walked over to examine them.

"These- these weren't here last night. The room must've created them while I was asleep," he said, still checking out each hammock. 

"Well, I need to leave so no one finds ye 'ere. Best o' luck, Neville!" 

"Thanks, Shay, you too," Neville called back. 

When Seamus left, he turned to his five peers. They all beamed at him, glad to be away from the Carrows and Snape.

"So, erm, who wants which hammock?" Neville said, smiling slightly.

Night fell, and it wasn't until then that Neville realized he hadn't eaten at all since his arrival.

_ I need a way to smuggle food in without being seen in the castle _ , he thought. The room dimmed, and everyone began preparing for bed. Neville, too, closed his eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep.

He awoke and heard soft snoring in the corner of the room. Slowly stirring, he saw what could have been thirty more mattresses on the ground and a ladder leading up to a portrait of a young girl on the wall next to him. 

Neville groggily remembered the tunnel Ginny and he had used to return from Hogsmeade, so he carefully climbed up to see if the tunnel had returned. Reaching the top, he gently tried to pull the portrait open. It swung open, revealing the same passage he'd walked through weeks earlier. 

The journey to Hogsmeade felt much shorter than his previous stroll through the passage. As he passed a grate overhead, he felt the hopeless feeling of Dementors roaming the outskirts of the grounds. 

Breaking into a run, Neville finally arrived at the back of a portrait. He pushed it open and cringed as it creaked loudly.

"Who's there?" a voice sounded from another room. 

"Er, it's me, Neville!" Neville tried to sound warm and likable. Aberforth appeared in front of him, his brow furrowed.

"Neville? I don't know a-, oh! Longbottom, why are you here so late?" he said, his voice rough.

"I need food—likely lots of it." He proceeded to explain everything to Aberforth. When Neville finished his story, Dumbledore's brother understood and agreed to help with the food issue.

Aberforth silently rounded the corner out of sight, and it was several minutes before he returned.

Neville began to wander, his curiosity of Aberforth growing. He sauntered into the dining area, where several framed pictures sat on a cabinet. One that stood out was of two boys and a girl laughing together. 

Both boys had brilliant, soul-piercing blue eyes; the girl looked identical to the one in the painting Neville had emerged from.

"Ah, I see you've found the picture of me with Ariana and Albus. I can't blame you for snooping, but it's not polite to go through others' things without permission." 

Neville stared at him blankly before stammering, "I- Sorry, sir, but you all look so happy together. May I ask what happened?"

"That's... a story for another time," he replied, handing him a large sack of food. 

Aberforth gently pulled Ariana's portrait open and helped Neville climb back into the tunnel.

"Thanks, Ab. I'll likely be back when more people arrive. I heard they're planning to kick out more non-supporters of Vol- the Dark Lord." Aberforth gave Neville a slight nod before shutting the painting, leaving Neville in the tunnel's darkness. 


	32. Two Weeks Later...

After Neville's first food run to Hogsmeade, he returned to six more students in need of shelter. Soon after, groups of ample numbers trickled in. The room continued expanding in size and adding beds and hammocks, anticipating their stay. 

Neville lightly kicked the portrait open and saw the Room of Requirement.

"'ey, Nev, jus' in time! We're starving, mate!" Seamus called. Several students surrounded Neville as he began passing out bread. 

"Seamus, shut your trap! You've been here for a week, and I've fed you every day. I went for three days without anything. I think you can go a few hours without a snack!" Neville joked. 

After everyone received their share of food, Seamus pulled Neville for a private conversation.

"How long do ye think we can stay, mate? Surely Snape'll fig're it out eventually," his tone full of concern. 

"I- Call me crazy, but I have this gut feeling that Harry will be back soon. Just bear with me for a little longer, okay?" Neville patted Seamus on the shoulder and returned to the group. 

It was the night that marked Neville's two-week sojourn. He went to talk with Colin Creevey and Terry Boot.

"Oi, Terry, how are ye? Looks like you took quite a beating. Was it the Carrows?" Neville asked.

"What this?" he asked, pointing at his purple eye. "Did you read about the Gringotts break-in? I must've gotten too excited 'cause they beat the bloody hell out of me. But Potter really was up to something, eh?" He nudged Neville, and they continued sharing theories about Harry's epic escape. 

As the night carried on, several people began preparing for bed. Neville heard the recently added showers turn on, and he grabbed a towel and change of clothes to check for a vacant stall. 

When he stood, he noticed Ariana's portrait watched over them.  _ That's odd _ , he thought. Usually, the painting remained blank.  _ Strange.  _

All the shower stalls were occupied, so Neville weaved through the beds on the ground back to his corner. 

"Neville, Aberforth would like to see you," called a soft voice. Everyone grew silent, and Neville stopped dead in his tracks. 

"Wh- what?" he asked, checking to see if he heard Ariana correctly. 

"Come," she said, her voice soothing. "It's urgent. No one's life is in jeopardy, but you must hurry."

Everyone stared, waiting for a further explanation, but she turned and walked along the trail in her painting, ignoring their gazes.

Neville threw his things on the nearest bed and climbed the ladder.  _ What could be so urgent that Aberforth sent Ariana to retrieve him? _

He swung the portrait open and called to Seamus, "Mate, you're in charge!" He gently shut the painting and walked at a much faster pace than usual. Eventually, he broke into a run.

He slid down the tunnel's steeper section, similar to a child going down a slide at a playground. He neared the entrance to Aberforth's home and quickly brushed himself off, preparing for what he would encounter on the other end.

He gently tapped the portrait, and it creaked open.

The euphoria Neville felt when he found Harry, Ron, and Hermione staring at him was indescribable. 

“I knew you’d come! I knew it, Harry!” Neville yelled excitedly. 


End file.
